The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression
by Gwen Potter
Summary: ::COMPLETED:: Hermione and Percy get drunk and have to deal with the consequences of their actions. CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: EPILOGUE! UPDATE 1/13! Warning: This story contains mild slash, don't read if you will get offended!
1. Dancing and Drinking

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 1: Dancing and Drinking

Hermione Granger sighed. "Ginny, I really don't feel like it."

"Oh, come on, Mione!" Ginny Weasley said, "You need to get back out there. I know it was painful when Jeremy broke up with you, but you need to get over it. Get some human interaction!"

Hermione knew she was right. She had dated Jeremy Marshall for two years until he broke up with a month and a half prior. She was twenty-two years old, and she really needed to get a life.

"Alright, fine, Ginny," Hermione said, "I'll go."

"Great," Ginny said happily. "I'll go tell the girls that you're coming." With that, she Disapparated, presumably to go to the small Divinator Shop in Hogsmeade that Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil worked at. After Ginny had graduated from Hogwarts, she and Hermione had moved in together, in a small flat in Diagon Alley.

Hermione walked into the kitchen, pulling out the teakettle. She tapped it with her wand, and steam immediately began to shoot out of the spout. She poured herself a cup of Jasmine tea, staring out the window forlornly. After a few minutes, she heard a small pop.

"Hey, Mione," said her best friend, Harry Potter.

"Hi," she replied, nodding slightly.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he took a seat beside her at the table.

"Your fiancée is forcing me to go out tonight, that's what," she told him, scowling.

"Well, you really should be going out," he replied, placing a hand on her arm. "I mean, just because that jerk decided to break your heart, you shouldn't stop living!"

"I know," Hermione said sadly. "But he really hurt me. I don't want that to happen again."

"Hermione, not all men are like that, you know," he told her softly. "Don't worry, someone better is gonna come along for you. I know it."

"Thanks, Harry," she replied, giving him a small hug.

"Anytime, Mione," he said, "Anytime."

******

That evening, Hermione and Ginny searched through both of their closets to find an outfit that would suit Hermione. They finally decided on a tight, dark blue mini-dress and a pair of silver stiletto heels. Hermione didn't like the idea, but when Ginny decided on something, it was chosen.

"Let me do your hair and makeup," Ginny pleaded, a huge grin on her face. Ginny aspired to become a professional makeup artist, and she was quite good at it.

"Okay, just don't do anything too extreme," Hermione warned. Ginny quickly set to work, completely wrapped up in her art. She finished after a half an hour.

"Here, take a look," she said, handing Hermione a small mirror. She had applied a bit of soft silver eye shadow to Hermione's eyelids, and adorned her lashes with dark mascara. Ginny had highlighted her cheekbones with a rosy blush, and her lips were painted a pale pink. Of course, this had been topped off with plenty of glitter. Hermione wouldn't have done anything quite as extravagant if she'd done it herself, but it looked rather good. Ginny had used a straightening charm on her hair, leaving it sleek, smooth, and shiny.

"It looks great, Gin, thanks," Hermione said, raising herself up from her chair.

"Okay, give me fifteen minutes, and I'll be ready," the younger girl said, rummaging through her makeup case. Hermione sat and waited in the living room, reading the last few pages of the chapter in her book. "How do I look?" Ginny called as she strutted into the living room. Her shoulder length hair was set into very defined curls, and her green eye shadow perfectly matched the color of her sequined dress.

"Lookin' good, Gin," Hermione said with a smile.

"I think I might just need to drop by Harry's before I come home," she said, grinning. "Let's go." They Apparated to a small club just a bit away from their flat, called Lacewings (A/N- Shut up, I couldn't think of anything else!). They met Lavender, Parvati, and Parvati's twin, Padma in front of the club.

"Hey, you guys look great!" Parvati gushed, smiling. The three girls had obviously taken very much time on their appearances, and they looked very much like they were ready to go clubbing.

They entered the club with relative ease, as it was owned by Lavender's aunt. Once inside, Ginny and Parvati headed straight to the dance floor, while Lavender and Padma opted to get drinks and scope out guys. Hermione sat down at a table off to the side, not doing much.

After about a half hour, Lavender dragged Hermione to the bar to talk to a guy she had met.

"Hermione, this is Corey, Corey, Hermione," Lavender said before sidling off.

"Hi," Corey said. He had short black hair, which had _far_ too many styling products in it.

"Hello," Hermione replied.

"What do you do?" he asked, giving her what appeared to be a 'charming' smile.

"I work at the Ministry," she told him shortly. He really didn't appear to be her type, and she didn't want to prolong the conversation.

"Really? What department?"

"Treatment and Guidance of Magical Creatures," she told him indifferently. She had gotten involved in that department to help better the conditions of house-elves.

"That must be quite interesting," Corey said, "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Oh, no thank you," she replied. Pretending to see someone across the room, she said, "Would you please excuse me?" Without even waiting for an answer, she began to walk across the room, shaking her head. From the looks Corey had been giving her, Hermione knew he wasn't interested in the Treatment and Guidance of Magical Creatures at all.

She found Ginny out on the dance floor, moving gracefully and purposefully to the loud beats of the music. Ginny had always been an excellent dancer, and she could put most professionals to shame.

"Come on, Mione!" Ginny shouted over the loud music. "Come dance with me!" Hermione obliged, laughing and giggling as she and Ginny moved to the music. She felt a little awkward in her shoes, as she didn't like wearing stilettos at all.

"I'm gonna go sit down!" she called after a few minutes. She waved quickly at Parvati, who was dancing with an attractive blonde across the floor. Hermione sat down in a chair, turning her head to look around. The sight she saw made her want to throw up.

Jeremy Marshall was standing across the room, heatedly snogging an unknown woman. Hermione could feel the tears coming to her eyes. She quickly walked back down to the dance floor, where she found Ginny.

"Gin, I'm not feeling good, I'm going home," she said, holding back the tears as best as she could. She really didn't want to talk to Ginny about it right now.

"Alright," Ginny said suspiciously. "I'll be there in a few hours." Hermione nodded and took off, speeding towards the exit. As soon as she was clear of the building, the tears started falling down her face. She leaned back against the wall of the club, slowly sinking down until she was sitting.

She brought her knees up to her chest, sobbing into her arms quietly. That hadn't been what she had wanted to see. It wasn't so much that she still loved him, because she wasn't certain that she ever did. It was more that Jeremy was _clearly_ doing better than she was at getting over their relationship.

Hermione was so wrapped up in her own inner-monologue that she didn't hear her name being called until the person who had spoken was kneeling down beside her.

"Hermione?" She quickly looked up to come face-to-face with none other than Percy Weasley.

"Hi," she said miserably, wiping her eyes. She knew that her makeup was probably smeared and running down her face, but she didn't care.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, placing a hand on her back. After Hogwarts, she and Percy had gotten relatively close, and she considered him on her list of close friends.

"I just saw Jeremy," she said, sighing.

"Oh, Mione," he said, not knowing what he should say.

"It gets worse," she said, "He was snogging some girl."

"Wow, Hermione, I'm sorry," Percy said, looking very concerned. Hermione wasn't one to cry, and seeing her like that was definitely disturbing.

"Ah," she said, shrugging. "It was just bad to see him like that. I mean, I haven't dated ever since we broke up, and there he was, snogging some girl in a club."

"Let me guess: Ginny decided you should go out with the girls?" he said, smiling. Ginny's answer to all of life's problems was to go dancing and drinking with the girls.

"Yeah," Hermione replied, chuckling slightly.

"Hey, I was just about to go get some dinner," Percy said, "Would you maybe like to join me? Have a drink?"

"That sounds great," she replied. Percy helped her to stand, a small laugh escaping him. "What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, Mione, maybe you should look in a mirror," he said, stifling more laughter. Hermione quickly conjured a mirror, bursting out into laughter at the sight. Her makeup _had_ begun to run down her face, silver streaks now adorning her cheeks.

******

'Ugh' was the first thing Hermione thought when she woke up the next morning. The sunlight was blaring through her window, and her pounding headache wasn't helping any.

It took her a few minutes to realize that the sunlight was coming in at the wrong angle. And when she looked down at the bedcovers, she was shocked to find that they were the wrong color. Her comforter was a bright yellow, and the one covering her was a deep, rich blue.

She rolled over, a slight groan escaping her as she recognized the person lying next to her. As soon as the sound left her mouth, their bright blue eyes snapped open. She was lying, naked, next to none other than Percy Weasley.

******

(A/N- hee hee! I got this idea, and I had to write it. What do you think? Hermione and Percy! Yes, they did do… um, stuff. I'd really appreciate it if you'd review and let me know what you think!)


	2. The Day After

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter, for your information. (Sorry I forgot this in the last chapter, but I didn't own it then, either!)

Warning- There is very mild slash in this chapter. If it offends you in any way, please stop reading.

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 2: The Day After

Hermione and Percy stared at each other for a few minutes, realization running over both of them.

"Oh, God," Hermione breathed, covering her eyes with one hand.

Percy winced slightly as she spoke, his hand shooting up to his temple. "I am so, so sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"What exactly happened last night?" she asked quietly, racking her brain.

"Well," Percy said, "I found you sitting outside of that club, and you'd been crying. Then, we went to dinner, and started talking about all our problems. And we got _really_ drunk."

"And then we came back to your house and…" Hermione said, both she and Percy blushing furiously. "I can't believe we did that."

"Me neither," he replied, shaking his head. "Um, can we just not tell anyone about this?"

"Yeah," she agreed, "Let's not." After a few moments of awkward silence, she said, "I had better get home. Ginny's going to wonder where I am."

"Alright," he said, nodding. Hermione quickly wrapped a sheet around her body and gathered her clothes, which were thrown haphazardly around the room. She ducked into the bathroom and dressed, rubbing her eyes lightly.

Hermione walked back to Percy's bedroom, where she gave him a small smile. "See you later," she said before Disapparating. She Apparated into her bedroom, immediately heading for the bathroom. 'Apparating with a hangover is never a good idea' she thought as she began to throw up into the toilet.

******

After a nice, long shower, Hermione changed her clothes and went into the kitchen, where she rummaged through the cupboards for a hangover potion. She sighed happily as she found one, pouring it into a rather large glass of water. It bubbled before turning a bright orange, reminding Hermione of the blinding colors in Ron's old bedroom. She quickly swallowed it down, wincing at the taste, which was like drain water mixed with sardines.

When the potion glass was rinsed thoroughly (Hermione wouldn't want _anyone_ to have to taste that), she wandered into the living room, to find Ginny. She was going to say that she had just gone to visit her parents when she left the club and had stayed the night if Ginny asked.

Not finding her flat-mate in the den, dining room, or their make-shift office, she headed to Ginny's bedroom. "Gin, are you awake?" she asked, knocking on the door softly. It was already 11:30, and Ginny was supposed to be meeting Harry in a half an hour.

"Ginny?" she tried again. This time, she got some response. A soft groan was heard from inside, and Ginny told her, quite sleepily, to come in. The sight she got was most unwelcome.

Ginny was laying on her bed, her back to the door, wrapped up firmly in Harry's arms. Hermione giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What is it?" Ginny asked, rolling over to face her.

"Well, I was going to tell you that you need to wake up to go meet Harry, but I guess it really doesn't matter," she said, nodding towards the bed.

"Wha's going on?" Harry asked sleepily, a large yawn escaping him.

"Morning," Hermione said, a full laugh escaping her mouth. Harry blushed slightly, closing his eyes. "I guess I'll let you two wake up," she said, turning and closing the door. She continued laughing as she went back into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. It wasn't uncommon to find the two of them together, but it made Hermione a bit jealous sometimes.

She didn't like Harry like that, or anything, but they had such a strong relationship, and she really wished she had one. As she slowly drank a cup of the strong brew, she thought of Percy. It had been very surprising to wake up beside him. When Voldemort had come back, he had been forced to choose between his family and Fudge. Naturally, he had sided with his family.

He had grown up quite a lot, which had, in actuality, made him more immature. Percy had realized exactly how boring and unimportant cauldron bottoms were, and had switched departments. He moved to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, and now worked under his father. Not exactly the most interesting, but certainly better than the Department of Magical Standards.

Percy had also gotten much more handsome. His brothers had gotten him started on playing Quidditch with them, and he had grown to love it. In the games they played in the small paddock behind the Burrow, he took to playing Keeper opposite Ron. He had developed a bit more muscle, broadening his chest and shoulders, giving his tall build a more masculine appearance.

Hermione snapped from her musings when a disheveled Harry and Ginny walked into the kitchen. They both took mugs of coffee, Ginny sitting down while Harry quickly downed his standing up.

"You're still coming tonight, right, Mione?" he asked.

"Meeting Ron and Draco? Yeah," she said, nodding. During seventh year at Hogwarts, Ron came out and told everyone that he was gay, and started dating Draco Malfoy. After Lucius had been sent to Azkaban, Draco and his mother, Narcissa had become very close to the Weasleys. Ron and Draco, whom were very much in love, now lived together in a large penthouse flat in Muggle London.

"Alright," Harry said, smiling. "I've gotta get to work." He bent down and gave Ginny a quick good-bye kiss, waving before he Disapparated.

"Have fun last night?" Hermione asked sarcastically. She figured Ginny had been too busy when she got in to notice that her roommate wasn't in, so she didn't bother with her cover story.

"Um, are you feeling better?" Ginny asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah," she said, looking down at the table. She didn't feel like telling Ginny about seeing Jeremy, although that wasn't her main concern anymore. She _really_ didn't want to tell Ginny that she had gotten drunk and slept with her brother. If she had it her way, no one would ever know.

******

Hermione Apparated into the living room of Ron and Draco's flat, carrying a bottle of wine. She wasn't planning on drinking any, but she always liked to bring a gift when she visited her friends.

"Hello!" she called, "I'm here!"

"In the kitchen, Mione!" called Ron. She walked into the kitchen, grinning. As surprising as it was, Draco was quite the chef. Even though Ron was pretty good in his own right, Draco always did the cooking.

"Hey guys!" she said happily. She set the bottle down on the counter, giving both of them big hugs.

"Hey, Mione," Draco said with a smile. He was rather nice looking when he didn't smirk, and Hermione definitely knew what Ron saw in him. He was, in actuality, very sweet, smart, charming, kind, and intelligent.

Hermione took in a whiff of the fragrant air, moaning at the smell. "That smells fantastic," she said, looking over to the stove. "What is it?"

"Linguini and clam sauce," he told her, leaning on the counter.

"Come on, Mione, let's go in the den and let Draco finish dinner," Ron said, sending a saccharine smile to Draco. "You know how he hates when people interfere with his cooking." Ron was referring to the first time Draco had fixed dinner for him. Ron had tried to help, and ended up burning the roast instead.

"I might need your help later," Draco said, grinning lasciviously.

"Wow," Hermione said, "The innuendoes in this room are getting to be just a bit too much."

"Alright, alright," Ron said, putting an arm over Hermione's shoulders in a friendly gesture. She didn't see the wink that Ron gave Draco over his shoulder as they exited the kitchen.

They moved into the living room, where Ron sunk into his favorite armchair by the fire. Hermione sat across from him, a small smile adorning her face.

"So," Ron asked, "Anything interesting happen to you lately?" Hermione blushed slightly, her mind immediately going to the previous night with Percy. She certainly wasn't going to tell Ron that she had gotten drunk and shagged his brother!

"Um, not really," she lied, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "What about you?"

"Well, yesterday, there was this guy who supposedly had all of these Dark artifacts hidden in his attic, and we had to go do this huge search, only to find out that someone had been joking around and sent in a false alert," he told her. 

Ron was an Auror, and quite a good one. In the eight months he had been working in his squad, he had become the team-leader, which normally took years to do.

Hermione and Ron were still chatting when Harry and Ginny Apparated into the living room. "Hey!" Ron said, grinning. He gave Ginny a quick hug and clapped Harry on the back. "I was wondering when you were going to show up!"

"We, uh, got caught up with what we were doing," Harry said, not meeting anyone's gaze. Hermione snorted, earning a glare from Ginny. Ron looked mildly amused.

"Tell me," Hermione asked knowingly, "What exactly were you doing that made you twenty-three minutes late?"

"Made it, did you?" Draco asked as he stepped into the living room.

"Hey, Draco!" Harry said, very glad for a change of subject. Ginny quickly gave Draco a hug and a kiss on the cheek, looking around the room. She still wouldn't look at Ron or Hermione.

"So, um, is dinner ready, then?" she asked.

"Yep," Draco said, "I just took it off the stove. Could you give me a hand, Ron?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Ron said with a grin. "You guys know where the dining room is," he said as he entered the kitchen with Draco, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Honestly," Ginny said, "They're worse than rabbits!"

"No more so than you two," Hermione reminded them.

"Yeah, well, you know…" Harry said, shrugging as he sat down. Around five minutes later, Ron and Draco came in, both of them looking a bit disheveled.

"Help yourselves," Draco said as he placed a large pot on the table. Hermione eagerly dug into the Linguini she took. Draco really was an excellent cook.

"This is terrific!" she gushed.

"Thank you," Draco said proudly with a prim smile.

"Where did you get the recipe?" Ginny asked.

"My mum," he told her. "She makes it wonderfully, but she says it's too much trouble to do often."

"It's really good," Harry said, taking in a particularly large bite. Throughout dinner, they all discussed their recent lives, enjoying Draco's linguini and Hermione's wine. Hermione didn't indulge in much of the alcoholic beverage, but she ate plenty of linguini.

Around nine, Hermione checked her watch. "Sorry, guys, I've gotta go," she said apologetically.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked hopefully. They never got to hang out as a big group, and they always liked to prolong their time together.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," she said, scrunching up her nose.

"Well, you'll be at the Burrow this Sunday, right?" Ron asked her.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." After several hugs each, Hermione finally Disapparated around twenty minutes later. She hadn't remembered about going to the Burrow. As much as she hoped against it, she knew things would be awkward with Percy. And boy, was she right.

******

(A/N- Thanks for reading! I know, some of you are probably going: 'What's with the slash?' Well, I'm not a slash writer, believe me. I just thought that it would be good in the story, for a way to involve Draco. I'm sorry if it bothered you in any way, but I did give a warning at the beginning of the chapter. Please don't flame about it.

Thanks to my reviewers:

manx- thanks for the info, but my sister came up with the title, and when I suggested changing it she hit me over the head with a bottle of nail polish… okay, not really, but she did get pretty upset

Kazza- did you like that chap?

Jessika- cute spelling! I'll try to keep this going faster. My evil ISP decided to not let me online for SIX days! How awful is that?

animegirl-mika- yeah, I could just see their looks too. It was so funny… well, in my head, anyway.

Panda ME!!- aw, cute name! Anyway, thanx!

lil- thanks for the review. You'll just have to wait and see what the consequences are…

Yukito Forever- what?! What sweatdrops?

HarryPotterFanFicGirl- thanks, I was wondering if anyone actually thought that it would sound good like that

Veronica*James- oh yeah, they DEFINITELY were, how you put it, Dra-unk!

Rosebud- there you go!

Alizee- you'll just have to wait to see how it goes along…

kjsparkles- I agree, people just don't love Percy enough * sniff *

Terra Rose- thanks a bunch!

Next time: awkwardness at the Burrow!)


	3. The Burrow

Disclaimer- I do not own it! I swear! Really, I don't!

Warning- There is very mild _slash_ in this, which means male/male relationships. If you are in anyway uncomfortable with this, I suggest you hit the back button!

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 3: The Burrow

Sunday, Hermione and Ginny Flooed to the Burrow, arriving a while before lunch was to be served.

"Hello, girls!" Molly said, pulling both of them into hugs.

"Hi, Mum," Ginny said, "Is Harry here yet?"

"Yes," she replied, "He, your father, Ron, Draco, and Charlie are all out back."

"Can I help with anything?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, no dear, you just go relax with the boys," Molly said, ushering her outside.

"Hey guys!" she called as she stepped out onto the patio. Ron, Draco, and Arthur all waved, looking up briefly from Arthur's newest device, a battery-operated Muggle stereo.

"Hi there, Hermione," Charlie said, smiling as she gave him a hug. "How've you been?"

"I'm alright," she replied, "How's Romania?"

"Pretty good," he said. As they began to discuss all of the latest happenings with the dragons in Charlie's camp, Hermione grinned at Harry and Ginny. They were obviously too busy to worry about anything but each other.

Around fifteen minutes later, Hermione looked up at the sound of the back door opening. She froze as Percy walked out. Their eyes locked for a few moments before they both looked away.

"Hello, everyone," he said, making his way around the group to greet everyone. When he had given Ginny a hug and shook Harry's hand, he walked over to Hermione and Charlie. He bent down and gave Hermione an awkward hug, not wanting anyone to think something was amiss.

Before he pulled away, he whispered, "Can we talk later?"

Hermione looked at him, surprised. She nodded briskly, raising her eyebrows. As soon as Percy had walked over to see Arthur's stereo, she went back to her conversation with Charlie, a bit distracted. What could Percy want to talk to her about?

Before she had much time to think about it, Molly walked outside, telling everyone to come inside for lunch. Hermione sat down at her usual spot beside Ron. It took her a moment to realize something. Percy always sat beside her.

As he sat down in his chair, she felt very uncouth. How could she not have remembered _that_! All throughout the meal, there was awkwardness between the two of them. They would often try to speak at the same time, resulting in both of them blushing and becoming quiet for quite a time afterward.

They both reached out to take dishes from around the table a few times, their hands bumping against each other's. "Sorry," Hermione said.

"My fault," Percy replied, moving his hand back from the dish of peas.

"Honestly," Charlie commented, "It's like you two are operating on one brain!" Hermione and Percy simply shrugged, once again mimicking the other's actions.

When lunch was finished, Hermione volunteered to help Molly do the dishes. "Mum, why don't you take a break?" Percy asked. "Hermione and I can take care of the dishes."

"Well, alright, then," Molly said, sitting down the plates she had been carrying and retiring into the living room with the rest of the family. Hermione was a bit nervous about spending that much time alone with Percy. She took the dishes she was carrying into the kitchen.

Hermione quickly began to cast cleaning charms on the dishes, not looking at Percy. "Look, Hermione, we need to talk."

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"I want to apologize for my behavior," he started, but Hermione cut him off.

"No, Percy, it wasn't your fault. We were drunk!"

"Well, be that as it may, what happened was still inappropriate. I am very sorry," he said.

"It was my fault, as well," she said, turning to him. "I'm sorry too."

"Are we okay?" he asked timidly.

"Of course," she replied with a small smile.

"I'm glad," he said, returning her grin.

******

After their talk, Hermione and Percy were back to normal. They still weren't going to tell anyone, as it would just make everything awkward with everyone else.

"Honestly," Hermione said as she watched Ron and Draco, "This is taking forever!" In Draco, Ron had finally found a formidable chess opponent. Their matches could go on for hours, and they often did.

"Well, if you're bored, you don't have to watch!" Ron informed her as he moved a bishop.

"Fine, I won't!" she shot back jokingly. She went over and sat by Harry, who was currently discussing the latest workings of the Ministry with Arthur, Charlie, and Percy.

"How are things over in your department, Hermione?" Arthur asked.

"About as well as can be expected," she replied with a sigh. "I'm still working to get the new legislation passed about werewolf rights', but it's proving difficult."

"How so?" asked Percy.

"Well, as you undoubtedly know, there is a whole group of people who have been against me on this project. They believe that werewolves are nothing but monsters that should be feared, and shouldn't be treated like regular people," she told them. Ever since she had started at the Ministry, one of her main goals was werewolf rights'.

When Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, had gotten cleared of the charges that had sent him to Azkaban, Harry had moved in with him almost immediately. Sirius's best friend was Remus Lupin, ex-professor at Hogwarts. Remus was, in fact, a werewolf. Hermione knew the way people treated him just because he turned into a monster once a month, and she hated it. That was why she was such a firm believer in that issue.

"You are absolutely right, Hermione," Arthur said. "Those people are just insane. Werewolves are normal people like the rest of us."

"Exactly," Hermione said, "And _that_ is why I'm working so hard to pass this legislation! I just want for people to understand that werewolves aren't beasts. They are functioning members of society any time except the full moon."

Hermione continued with the discussion for quite some time, until Ginny called her into the kitchen to help with wedding plans. She and Harry were planning on a long engagement, with the ceremony taking place in fifteen months.

"So tell me," Ginny said, "As the maid of honor, which robes do you think for the bridesmaids?" Hermione looked through the styles that Ginny had marked, nearly laughing at some of them. There were some that were quite baggy, a few that were too tight, some that dragged the ground, some that had slits up the hips, and a couple that were in atrocious colors such as 'puce' and 'guava'.

After a few minutes, she came upon one that actually looked nice. It was more like a dress than a robe, and it was beautiful. It was floor length, but not too long, made of satin, had spaghetti-strap sleeves, and was done in a nice 'daffodil', which would look good with all of the bridesmaids.

"That one," Hermione said firmly, pointing to the page.

"I know, isn't it gorgeous?" Ginny asked, looking at the model moving around on the glossy parchment.

"Is that the one you'll be wanting, then?" Molly asked.

"I like it," Hermione said.

"Yep," Ginny replied, "We'll have those." With that, the three women headed back into the living room. Molly sat beside Arthur on the couch, while Ginny sat practically on top of Harry, asking his opinion about the bridesmaid's robes.

Hermione felt a bit left out. While she wasn't the only single one in the room, as neither Charlie or Percy were dating anyone, it felt lonely when she surveyed the happy couples in the room.

Molly and Arthur had been married for _ages_, and they were still happily married after all of that time. Harry and Ginny were great together, and they were one of those couples that you could just tell would never break up. Ron and Draco were very much in love, and they had such a strong relationship. They were soul mates. Hermione was just a bit jealous of all of them. They had all found what they were looking for, and she still hadn't.

Sure, she was only twenty-two, and there was still plenty of time to find that special someone, but watching her friends made her want it even more. After all, Ron, Draco, and Harry were twenty-two, and Ginny was only twenty-one!

"Mione, are you all right?" Harry asked concernedly.

"Huh?" she asked, snapping from her reverie. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just blanked out for a minute."

"Alright, then," Ginny replied, giving her a small smile before turning back to Harry. It was pretty silent for a few minutes, until…

"No way, you can't do that, Ron!" Draco complained.

"I can too!" Ron replied.

"Cannot!"

"Can too!"

"Cannot!

"Can too!"

"Honestly, are you two ever going to grow up?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"No!" They replied at the same time, before going back to their argument. _Those_ could take hours, as well!

******

(A/N- how was that? Poor Hermione, she doesn't have anybody for herself! Isn't it sad? Once again, if you were offended by the Ron/Draco stuff, then why are you reading this? I gave you a warning, and if you didn't read it, that's your business.

Thanks to the reviewers:

Kazza- Oh, thanks so much! Draco and Ron are a bit ironic, aren't they? I don't see them EVER getting together in the _actual _books, and I figured that it'd be kinda cool. Well, weird, yes, but still… um, what was I saying? OH RIGHT! Thank you!

shuntbumps- sorry if you feel like that, but the main conflict of the story is yet to come…

Lady of Werewolves- first off, I love your name! Second off, thank you!

Panda ME!!- hey, there's another one for you!

silverphoenix- thanks a lot, and I want to say that I LOVE Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice Cream (as well as most of your other fics! You're terrific!). That is one of my favorite George/Hermione fics, and I got a bit of inspiration for this from you… you can probably now guess where I'm going with this, huh? Oh well, you'd know next chapter anyway!

kjsparkles- no, not rushing to a happy ending, although there most likely will be one. VIVA LA FLUFF!!!

summerthyme- don't think I'd mind, either… he he he

lil- I'm thinking about some dating in the future, but I can't be sure. The main plot will revolve around something else…

selene-chan- aww, thanks! I will be continuing this, and hopefully you'll want to review in the future * hint, hint *

HarryPotterFanFicGirl- okay, first off, would you mind if I just call you HPFFG, like you have in your little author info page? That takes a lot to type :D Anyway, I'm glad you like the Ron/Draco, cuz it'll be there even more in future chapters!

Alizee- on the Draco thing: I might deal with that in future chaps, but I'll give you a short thing here. In my story's past, Lucius was a Death Eater (duh!). Draco had always assumed that being evil and all that was what he wanted. In his, let's say, sixth year, he learned more about the ACTUAL goings on with Voldie's crew, and he didn't want any part of it. Slowly, he began to change. Also, Narcissa was never an evil Death Eater, but she couldn't go against Lucius. I imagine that he was an evil jerk, and Narcissa couldn't be her own person until he was put in Azkaban. Hope that's a bit believable…

Yukito Foverer- whew, I'm glad that isn't a bad thing! Thanks, BTW!

Akuma Canadian Angel- sorry that you don't like the Draco/Ron, and I don't think JKR's Draco would EVER be gay. But, well, he's mine for now, and I think he should be (for a while, anyway… when I'm done with George and Percy and Charlie, though, oh, he's straight! But I'll share him!)

Thalia- thanks! Oh, and on your idea: hmm, I wonder…

Skye Rocket- you're right, Percy doesn't get enough play. I love him, too, and if JK Rowling makes him side with Fudge, oh, that'll tick me off!

Well, here's till next time * tips my cyber hat *!)


	4. Uh Oh!

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own it. I mean, yeah, I'd _like_ to, but nobody loves me enough for that 

* sniff, sniff *

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 4: Uh Oh!

__

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Hermione shot her alarm dirty looks as it woke her up two months later. Everything in her life was back to normal. She had completely gotten over that jerk, Jeremy, and she had almost forgotten about the night with Percy.

As she stepped out of bed and began shuffling towards the bathroom, she was hit with a sudden feeling of nausea. She sprinted the rest of the way, barely making it to the toilet before she threw up the entire contents of her stomach.

She groaned as she clutched the toilet rim, her eyes squeezed shut. 'Must have been that shrimp' Hermione thought, rubbing her stomach. She stood up unsteadily and brushed her teeth, rinsing her mouth thoroughly.

As she showered, she began to wonder exactly what it could have been that made her sick. If she had food poisoning, she would still be feeling badly, right? She didn't know of any bugs or viruses going around, so it couldn't have been one of those. What about…?

'No, definitely not' she thought, quashing down any uncertainties. There was no way!

"Morning, Ginny!" she said brightly as she walked into the kitchen. Hermione was always energetic in the morning if she got enough sleep.

"Morning," Ginny replied groggily.

"What's up with you? You're usually such a morning person," she said, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"Nothing," Ginny told her, shaking her head slowly.

"Oh, I know what it is," Hermione said knowingly. "When did Harry leave?"

"What automatically makes you assume Harry was here?" she asked, a bit of irritation seeping into her voice.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Hermione said defensively. On a mischievous impulse, she asked, "When did you leave his place?"

Ginny gave her a dirty look for a moment, before she sighed. "I got home a few minutes ago."

"I knew it!" Hermione cried triumphantly. She quickly finished off the rest of the cereal in her bowl. "I've gotta get to work. See you this afternoon."

"Bye," Ginny replied with a small nod. Hermione threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the fire, saying, "T. G. M. C. office!" (A/N- that's the Treatment and Guidance of Magical Creatures office; you know, the place she works at)

She quickly spun around through the Floo Network, falling out in the fireplace of her office. She quickly stood up and dusted off her robes, shaking some soot out of her hair.

"Good morning," her secretary, a tall, pretty, blonde woman named Chelsea said.

"Morning," she replied happily, looking out the window. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"It certainly is," Chelsea replied with a smile. She handed Hermione a few slips of parchment. "Here are your messages. Your twelve-thirty has been moved to two, and your two-fifteen has been moved to tomorrow."

"Alright, thanks," Hermione said, heading into her office. She loved her work very much, and she always threw herself into it headfirst. She had always found it very rewarding to help out Magical Creatures. That was why she had become so close with Charlie. When she had first started out, Charlie had helped her greatly with a report on dragon shipping comforts.

As always, Hermione jumped into her work. She concentrated on nothing but her summary on the Ramora Protection Act for several hours, until her office buzzer sounded around lunchtime.

"Miss Granger, there's someone here to see you," came the voice of Chelsea from the office buzzer (A/N- it works like the buzzer dealie that Muggle secretaries use to ring people).

"Alright, send them in," she replied sighing. She rubbed her eyes and pushed some of her paperwork away, straightening up a bit.

The door opened quietly a few moments later, and a familiar head poked through. "Hey Mione!" Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, come on in," she replied, abandoning her attempts to pick things up. It didn't matter if Harry knew her office was messy.

"I'm on my lunch break, and I figured I'd drop by and see if you wanted to grab a bite," he said as he took a seat on the edge of her desk.

Hermione thought for a moment. "Yeah, sure, I guess I can." She pressed the button on the buzzer, hearing it ring in the front room.

"Yes, ma'am?" asked Chelsea.

"I'm going to take my lunch break now," she said, "I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay," Chelsea replied, "I'll take down your messages."

"Thank you," Hermione replied. Harry was giving her a funny look. "What?" she asked him.

"How come _you_ get a secretary?" he asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice. Harry worked in the Magical Games and Sports department, under the notorious bookie, Ludo Bagman. Harry had played Quidditch for England from graduation until five months prior, when he had broken his leg in a nasty accident that had left him limping for three weeks.

"Because I do _actual _work," she shot back with a grin. She grabbed her purse from underneath her desk, Apparating with Harry to the front of the building.

"So, where do you want to go?" Harry asked. Hermione had been having the strangest cravings as of late. The previous night, she had woken up at three, and she had wanted a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. The idea had disgusted her at first, but it had tasted really good. In fact, it sounded good then, as well.

"Um, why don't we go to the Leaky Cauldron? They have really good sandwiches there," she said, licking her lips.

"Alright, then," Harry replied, grinning at her. They walked down the street to the Leaky Cauldron, taking seats at the bar, the least occupied place in the pub.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" asked Tom, the barkeeper.

"Um, I'll have a roast beef on wheat and a butterbeer," Harry said.

"Can I get a glass of water and a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich?" Hermione asked. Harry and Tom shot her strange looks, before Tom nodded.

"Yeah, that'll be right out," he said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Peanut butter and mayonnaise?" Harry asked disgustedly. "Ugh, what kind of sandwich is that?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied, "I just have this weird craving for it." Tom came back a few minutes later, carrying two plates and two glasses.

"Here you are," he said, eyeing Hermione's sandwich strangely. She eagerly began to dig in.

"Mm, this is just what I wanted," she said as she hungrily took a bite.

"That is the weirdest thing I have ever seen anyone eat," Harry commented. "And you have to remember, I lived with _Ron_ for a year."

"I know," she replied, shaking her head.

******

A week later, Hermione was still throwing up. She was a bit worried about it, so she had set an appointment at St. Mungo's to see her doctor. She arrived just on time.

"Hermione Granger!" the nurse called out. Hermione quickly stood up and followed the nurse back to a room, sitting on the examination table.

"Alright," the nurse said, "What's been bothering you?"

"Well, I've been getting these fits of nausea when I wake up, and then I'll throw up," Hermione told the nurse. Her Quick-Quotes Quill took down the symptoms while the nurse cast the proper spells to test her heart-rate, blood pressure, and temperature.

"Is that all?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah, I believe," she replied.

"Alright, then, the doctor will be in with you in just a moment," the nurse said, gathering her parchment and quill. Hermione looked around the exam room, smiling at some of the pictures. There were three kittens rolling around in one, with dolphins jumping in another.

"Ah, Hermione, how have you been?" asked Dr. Gold as she stepped in the room, carrying the paper her vitals had been written on.

"Alright, I guess," Hermione said, "But I've been getting sick when I wake up in the morning."

"Mmm hmm," Dr. Gold said, looking at her strangely. "Is there anything else at all? Any strange cravings?"

"Yeah, I have been getting some. Peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. Weird, huh?"

"Indeed," Dr. Gold said with a small smile. "Hermione, are you late for your period?"

"Um," Hermione said, thinking. "I am actually."

"Okay, I want to run a few tests before I say anything, but I have an idea," the doctor said.

"Okay," she replied.

"Now, just lay back, Hermione, and pull your shirt up," Dr. Gold said, taking her wand from her pocket.

"Okay," Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow. She wondered what this was about, but did as she was told. Dr. Gold traced a circle above her navel, tapping her abdomen in a triangular formation. A gold light emitted from the end of her wand. "What does that mean?"

"Hermione, you're pregnant," Dr. Gold replied.

******

(A/N- hee hee, how about them apples? Yes, that was part of my master plan! Woo hoo! Hermione's pregnant! But whose is it? Percy or that jerk Jeremy? You'll just have to wait and find out!

Yes, I know that Hermione is smart and probably would have figured it out, but then she wouldn't have been surprised! 

To the reviewers:

Shinigami- Yeah, the Ron/Draco thing is kinda weird, but I think it makes for some fun stuff too. I dunno, but I might have to go against all the stuff I write and do a fic about their relationship (once again, let me say I have NOTHING against slash! I just don't write it!)

Ella Clark- yep, Bill's in Egypt still. Yes, as you can now tell, Hermione IS pregnant! Yay!

Kazza- HAAAA! When I read your review, I couldn't stop laughing for ten minutes! I just got to thinking about Arthur and Lucius's interactions versus Ron and Draco's, and if R/D are really about the romantic tension, then… HAAA!!! That's great!  


Alizee- Well whoever said that Hermione and Percy were going to get together? Maybe I just put it under Percy and Hermione because they were the main characters? Okay, so that was a lie. They'll get together, but it's gonna take QUITE a while.

Lady of Werewolves- don't worry, the twins are in here. You'll see them in chapter six, I believe. Nope, nobody suspects anything, they are all just taking it as normal weirdness from Percy and Hermione.

summerthyme- yeah, they did just want to drop the discussion. Sorry I didn't get more involved in it, but I really wanted to get to this part!

selene-chan- I'm pretty sure that Charlie will be getting some action soon… And thank you so much!

HPFFG- thanks, and I hope you enjoyed that. I hopefully won't make you wait too long for the next part * evil grin *

Mandy Moo- does it really work? I don't know, I'm still a bit leery about it. Then again, I'm a bit leery about the whole story line so far…

Thalia- aw, poor you with the midterms! Yeah, I like the tension-y stuff, as it's always pretty fun (hehehe). And yeah, I think Ron and Draco are still gonna be acting a bit immature. After all, they are only twenty-two, and all the twenty-two year old guys I've ever known (yeah, like I've known SO many of them…) have acted a bit like that.

Okay, so, next chapter, Hermione is going to find out more about the pregnancy, the father will find out, and we'll meet Hermione's obstetrician!)


	5. Discussions

Disclaimer- I sure wish Harry Potter was mine. Well, maybe just George…

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 5: Discussions

Hermione stared at her doctor in shock. "P-pregnant?" she asked warily. It just couldn't be true!

"Yes, pregnant," Dr. Gold replied with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm positive," she said. (A/N- only fools are positive! Hee hee, Fern Gully!)

Hermione gripped the edge of the table for a moment. She couldn't believe it! Pregnant! This was not good. "How far along am I?"

"Well, I can't tell you that. You'll need to go see an Obstetrician. I can recommend one, however," the doctor told her. "Dr. Parker, she's a good friend of mine."

"Okay, thank you," Hermione replied, closing her eyes.

"I take it this isn't a welcomed surprise."

"Not at all," she said, shaking her head sadly. Dr. Gold patted her arm sympathetically.

"Well, there are always ways to take care of this," Dr. Gold began, but Hermione cut her off.

"I couldn't," she replied. The doctor nodded knowingly.

"I know what you mean," she said. "I'll go get Dr. Parker's card for you." Hermione nodded, biting her lip. She wasn't ready for a baby. Money wouldn't be a problem, as her job was very well paying, but this was going to be so hard on her. The only two possibilities for the father were Jeremy and Percy, although neither seemed like a good idea.

Jeremy wouldn't make a good father. He wasn't attentive, he wasn't good with children, and he had quite a temper. He couldn't be counted on for help with raising it, either. Hermione knew Percy was rather levelheaded, but he wasn't exactly idea, either. He was one of her closest friends, not to mention how the Weasleys would react. Ever since Hermione had been a teenager, she had been accepted as an extra part of the family. If Percy were the father, he could probably be counted on to be there for Hermione and the baby, but it would be quite awkward for everyone.

Hermione couldn't have an abortion. She just couldn't do that. And she knew that if she carried the baby for nine months, she wouldn't be able to put it up for adoption. She would have to raise the baby and take care of it, whether or not she would get support from the father.

"Here you are," Dr. Gold said as she re-entered the room, holding a small card. "She'll take good care of you. And tell her I recommended her, you'll get a bit of a discount."

"Okay, thank you doctor," she said.

"Chin up," the doctor replied, "I'm sure it'll all work out for you."

"Thanks," Hermione replied, shaking the doctor's hand and going to the cashier to settle her bill.

******

Hermione hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy a few days later. She wanted to be able to tell the father before anyone else. She had an appointment with the obstetrician, Dr. Parker, at noon, and she was going to go on her lunch break.

When twelve drew near, she buzzed Chelsea. "Chelsea, I'm going to the doctor now."

"Alright, Miss Granger," Chelsea replied. "Will you be back in today?"

"Probably, but I'll owl if I'm not going to come back. Hold all my messages today, regardless."

"Yes, ma'am," the secretary replied, closing their connection. Hermione quickly Apparated to the obstetrician's office, filling out the required paperwork. When she finished, she was called back by a kind older lady, who took her information down.

"Alright, Miss Granger, if you'll wait in here and change into this," the nurse asked, handing her an examination robe. Hermione quickly exchanged her clothes for the paper gown, sinking down into the cushy exam table. It was warm, not cold, so it was obviously charmed.

Hermione looked at the rather pink surroundings of the room, a slight grin on her face. It certainly was colored. Everything in the room was either pink, rose, mauve, salmon, or red. There were several bouquets of flowers situated around the room, at least one bunch on every surface.

The door opened a few minutes later. "Hello, Miss Granger, I'm Amelia Parker." A short, brunette witch said. She was in her mid-thirties, and had a nice smile. She looked a bit like what Hermione imagined Mrs. Weasley to have looked at that age, but with brown hair.

"Hi," Hermione replied, shaking her hand. "Just Hermione, though, if you don't mind."

"Well, you just call me Amelia," the doctor replied.

"Okay, thank you," Hermione said. "I, um, I guess you know why I'm here."

"I have a good idea," Amelia joked good-naturedly. "Dr. Gold sent me an owl. Now, I think we'll just do a basic examination today, figure out how far along you are, if the baby is healthy."

"Alright, now just sit back and we'll get the exam going."

******

Hermione left the office an hour and a half later. The first thing, and most important to her, that the doctor had told her was that the baby was fine.

The second point was how far along she was. After Amelia had examined her thoroughly, using plenty of spells Hermione had never even heard of. She had pronounced the approximate time as a bit over two months, which meant that the father was Percy.

He was going to be devastated. Hermione had thought about it briefly, but she never thought that even in their drunken states that she and Percy wouldn't have used any kind of protection. She had sent an owl from the obstetrician's office to Chelsea, telling her that she wouldn't be in for the rest of the day. Hermione just felt like being alone.

As she opened the front door to her flat, she silently poked her head in. Luckily, she didn't see Ginny anywhere. 'She's still at work,' Hermione mused silently. She walked slowly to her bedroom, sitting down at her desk to work on a note to Percy. She didn't want to tip him off about the pregnancy, as she figured it was the kind of thing you just don't tell people about in a letter. After seven attempted tries, she liked the final result.

__

Dear Percy,

Could you please meet me at seven-thirty tonight at the Leaky Cauldron? There is something that I need to talk to you about.

Thanks a lot,

Hermione

Not exactly personal, but it would have to do. She tied it to the leg of her eagle owl, Gwenoviere, or Gwen (A/N- gotta love inserting your own name in the story, even if it is an owl!) for short. She had bought her after Crookshanks had died.

"Gwen, could you get this to Percy quickly?" she asked as she carried her to window. Gwen hooted happily, nipping at her fingertips. The owl soared out of the open window, flying towards the Ministry. Hopefully she could catch Percy before he left work.

As soon as the owl was out of sight, Hermione set her alarm and lay down on her bed for a short nap. This was going to take a lot out of her.

******

Hermione took a quick shower when her alarm went off, fixing her damp hair into a braid. She threw on a basic black robe over a skirt and nice blouse, opting to make a bit of an effort whether it was Percy or not.

As soon as she was sure she looked alright, she Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. She spotted Percy sitting a table near the back, sipping from a small glass. Checking her watch, she realized she was five minutes late.

"Sorry I'm late," she said sheepishly as she sat down beside him.

"Oh, no problem," he replied, shrugging. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Um, why don't we eat something first?" she suggested nervously. She wanted to just talk to him normally before she shocked him with the news that would undoubtedly change his life.

"Alright, then," he said, looking through the menu in front of him. As Hermione scanned the pages, several things that she normally would love gave her a fit of nausea. She finally selected tea and toast. Not much of a dinner, but it was the only thing that didn't make her sick.

"So, um, did you have a good day?" she asked, drumming her fingernails on the table-top.

"It was pretty boring," he replied with a half grin. "I had to deal with this witch that had enchanted a Muggle vacuum cleaner. That was a pain."

"Sounds like it," Hermione said with a small laugh. Before long, their food came, and Hermione contemplated the best way to tell him. She decided to wait just a bit longer, for the right moment to come along.

An opportunity presented itself as they were finishing their dinner. A pause came up in the conversation. "Um, Percy, about what I needed to discuss with you," she said.

"Yes?" he asked. Hermione wouldn't meet his eyes, so he lifted her chin with one finger. "What is it, Hermione?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, Percy, you know that night when we… um, well, you know."

"Yeah," he said, raising an eyebrow. In the dim light, Hermione could see that a blush had crept up on his cheeks at the mentioning of that night. They had reached an unspoken agreement to not talk about it after the conversation they had had afterwards.

"Well, it has been brought to my attention by recent events that we, uh, we didn't use any kind of, well, protection."

Percy stared at her for a few moments. "What are you trying to say?" he asked nervously, pulling his hand away from her face.

"Percy, I'm pregnant," she said. Percy's jaw dropped, his mouth opening and closing several times as he grasped for something to say. Hermione would have laughed at his face, which looked uncannily like a fish, had the situation not been quite as serious.

"Pregnant?" he asked quietly. She silently nodded, looking down at the table. "Oh, wow, this is…"

"Horrible, I know," she replied, feeling tears forming in her eyes. Hermione hadn't cried at all yet, but she could feel herself breaking down.

"No, it's not horrible. Quite unexpected, but not horrible." Hermione looked up at him quickly.

"You really don't think so?" she asked hopefully. If Percy didn't think it was horrible, then maybe he wouldn't be opposed to her keeping the baby. Maybe he would even want to have an active role as a father.

"No, not horrible," he said firmly, taking her hand. "What, um, do you want to do about it? You don't want to get rid of it, do you?"

"Of course not!" she cried, appalled that he could think such a thing. Several people looked in their direction, so she lowered her voice. "I could never do that."

"I wouldn't want you to," he said earnestly. "And believe me, I want to be in its life. I'm gonna do everything I can to take care of it."

"Thank you," Hermione said, tears falling down her face. "I just don't know what we're going to do."

With that, Percy put his arms around Hermione. "We'll take care of it. Don't worry."

Hermione stopped crying after a bit, and she sat back in her chair. "So," Percy said, "Have you thought about this very much?"

"A little," Hermione replied. "Um, if you wouldn't mind, I'd really rather not talk about it right now."

"That's fine," he said, nodding. "When do you want to tell everyone? I mean, I doubt we'd ever be able to keep it a secret."

"Oh," she said, biting her lip. She _had_ thought about that part, but not for very long as the idea had just worried her. "Well, I suppose we should try to tell everyone at once. It would probably be easier. I just don't know how my parents are going to take this."

Percy gulped. "Let's get it over with soon, alright?"

"Yeah," Hermione said. "Do you want to meet to talk tomorrow?"

"Sure," he said, "Why don't you come over to my place after work?"

"Alright," she said, digging in her purse. She threw a couple of galleons on the table to cover her portion of the bill.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Percy said, "I've got it."

"Thanks, Perce," she said, giving him a small smile as she replaced the coins in her purse. With that, she Disapparated straight to her bedroom. She'd deal with Ginny in the morning.

******

When Hermione got off of work the next day, she headed out of her office. "I'll see you tomorrow, Chelsea," she said, lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, but there's someone here to see you," Chelsea said, snapping Hermione from her thoughts. She looked up to see Percy sitting in a chair.

"Hi," she said, a bit surprised.

"I thought I'd wait for you," he said, standing up.

"Alright, then," she replied, turning back to her secretary. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Chelsea replied, looking at Percy appreciatively. Hermione bit back a laugh.

After she and Percy had Apparated to his flat, she asked, "How long were you waiting?"

"Well, I didn't know exactly when you got off, so I got there about a half hour ago."

"Thanks," she said, raising an eyebrow. She'd had no idea that he'd been there, or else she would have told Chelsea to let him in to her office. Percy quickly unlocked his door, letting her inside. Hermione sat down on the sofa, watching Percy as he rushed around the flat, lighting a fire in the grate and collecting his mail.

"Would you like something to drink? Water?" he asked.

"Oh, sure, thanks," she replied. Percy walked into his kitchen, returning with two tall glasses of ice water after a moment. He sat down beside her and handed her the drink, sipping it thoughtfully.

After a moment, he asked, "So, you've been to see the doctor, then?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Yesterday. The baby is healthy, but it's too early to tell the sex."

"Okay," Percy said, nodding, "Do you have another appointment?"

"Yes, in three weeks," she said.

"Can I come with you?"

Hermione looked at him for a moment, shocked. Even though he had said he wanted to be involved in the baby's life, she didn't figure that he wanted to be _that_ involved!

"Um, yeah, I'd like that," she said, cocking her head to the side.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"I just didn't think you'd want to do all of that," Hermione said, shrugging.

"Of course I want to," Percy said, "It's my baby too, after all. I want to do all I can for it." Hermione smiled at him. He really was going to be responsible in this.

"So, when should we go about telling our families?" she asked.

"Well, how about if we tell mine this weekend?" he suggested, chewing on the inside of his lip. Two days before, Bill had announced that he had gotten engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Fleur Delacour. The Weasleys were throwing them a party on Saturday night.

"Alright," Hermione said, "And we can tell my parents Friday, then."

"Sounds good, I guess," Percy said, looking decidedly more nervous than he sounded.

******

(A/N- well, there you have it. I know that Percy is a bit out of character, but this is my story, not yours! I'll dye his hair blue if I want to! Okay, well, maybe not. How did you like it, though?

Now, on the whole abortion thing: I'm not telling ANYONE that you should or shouldn't get one. I believe that every woman has the right to choose whether she gets one or not!

Thanks to the reviewers:

Thalia- how did you like Percy's reaction?

Kazza- well, I'm thinking that Tom had some idea, but I don't think he was entirely sure. Although it might be funny do another scene there later when she starts showing…

Mandy Moo- parents divorced, huh? I know all about that, and about going to my dad's and not having a computer. I never see him, but that's just cuz I hate my stepmom.

Alizee- yeah, I wouldn't have done it any other way than having it be Percy's. I'm too much of a hopeless romantic. Anyway, I'll email you about the baby's name.

Summerthyme- nope, pregnancy with friends is never good (did you catch the unintentional pun there? I got the idea, basically, from the show Friends, and that joke just came out! I swear I didn't mean to write it!)

selene-chan- I'll try to email you, but I make no promises! Hehehe, I have a pretty busy schedule of taunting my sister and working on my fanfics! But I will try to remember!

silverphoenix- aww, thanks, and may I tell you this about Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice Cream (although I already said it in the review I gave): YOU ARE EVIL!!! Leaving it at a cliffie like that… shame! Okay, well, no shame, because I know it just makes the story a million times better. But still!

Lady of Werewolves- I swear, you'll get Ron's reaction next time (and I give credit to Hermione Malfoy for giving me the idea for it!)

hannah holmes- ah, don't worry, just say what you can before you fall over the keyboard!

Skye Rocket- I'll keep updating for ya! I can't stop writing it, either!

HPFFG- glad to see that you hate Jeremy too! That's what I was trying to get across, even though she hasn't spoken to him. Ex-boyfriends are such jerks!

Akuma Kanada no Tenchi- hey, MY Ron isn't gay! MY Ron walks around shirtless all day, reaching up for things on high shelves and lifting heavy objects, showing off his lovely muscular body… what? He does! Okay, so all of MY Weasley boys do, but that's another point entirely. Speaking of which, I have had no point with this! Thank you for the review, and I'll let you have Draco if you can pry my sister off of him!

Next time- telling the 'rents!)


	6. Telling the 'rents!

Disclaimer- nope, I don't own it, contrary to popular belief… well, it's a popular belief with me, anyway.

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 6: Telling the 'rents

That Friday, Percy came to Hermione's flat. Ginny was out with Harry, so they didn't have to worry about explanations with her (A/N- convenient how that happens, isn't it?).

"I'm almost ready," Hermione said, ushering him into the living room. She quickly hurried through her bedroom, running a brush through her hair and putting on her shoes at the same time. As soon as she was satisfied with her appearance, she went into the living room.

"You look nice," Percy said, giving her a small, nervous smile. With as apprehensive as Hermione was about telling her parents that she was pregnant, not married, and had no plans for it, Percy must have been a thousand times worse.

"So do you," she replied. She took Percy's hand, closing her eyes and Apparating with him. They reappeared momentarily in front of her parents house. "Ready?" she asked.

Percy gulped. "I guess." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before realizing that she was still holding it. She let go awkwardly, giving a lopsided smile.

"Sorry," she said, to which Percy just shook his head. Hermione swiftly knocked on the door, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she heard the approaching footsteps. She had sent a letter to her parents earlier in the week, saying that she and a friend had something to tell them.

"Hermione!" said Lois Granger. "Its great to see you, love." Hermione embraced her mother tightly, patting her on the back.

"It's good to see you too, Mum," she said, looking over her shoulder at Percy. "Um, Mum, you remember Percy Weasley?"

"Oh, yes, Percy, how are you?" asked Lois.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Granger, thank you," he replied politely, shaking her hand.

"Call me Lois," she said, giving him a warm smile. "Come in, kids," she said, holding the door open. They walked into the sitting room, where they found Thomas Granger reading the paper.

"There you are," he said, setting the paper aside. Hermione bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Daddy, do you remember Percy Weasley? Ron's brother?"

"Oh, yes, how do you do?" he asked as he shook Percy's hand firmly.

"I'm fine, Mr. Granger, thank you," Percy replied.

Mr. Granger gave him a funny look. "Well that certainly makes me feel old. Please call me Thomas."

"Alright," Percy said nervously.

"Sit down, sit down," Lois said, "Let me get some tea." Hermione and Percy sat down on the sofa, sharing a look. Hermione could tell Percy was even more nervous now.

After a few moments, Lois came back. "Thanks, Mum," Hermione said, sipping her tea lightly.

"So," Thomas said, "You said you had something to tell us?"

"Um, yes, Daddy," she said, nodding.

"What is it?" Lois asked curiously.

"Well, you see…," Hermione said, searching for the right way to tell them. She looked at Percy, who then tried his hand.

"Uh, Hermione is…," he said, waving his hand as he also stumbled with his vocabulary for a less harsh way of saying it.

Hermione decided to come right out and tell them. "Mum, Dad, I'm pregnant." Lois and Thomas looked decidedly shocked.

"You're having a baby?" Thomas asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Hermione said, casting her gaze to the floor.

"When did you start dating?" Lois queried.

"We, um, aren't," Percy said, gulping.

"What happened was a one-time accident," Hermione told them. "I just found out that I'm pregnant."

"And what do you plan on doing about it?" Thomas asked. He had gone a bit pale.

"We're going to keep it," Hermione told him firmly. "We've talked about this a lot, and we'll be able to take care of it."

"How far along are you?" Lois said, eyeing them cautiously.

"About two and a half months," Hermione told her. "It's too early to tell the gender, but the baby is perfectly healthy."

"And what are you going to do about living arrangements for the baby?"

"We're going to find a three bedroom to move into," Percy said, sitting rather rigidly. They discussed their plans for another hour, until Lois and Thomas were both satisfied.

"Well," Lois said, "You two get going now. Hermione, get plenty of rest, love."

"Yes, Mum," she said, hugging each of her parents in farewell. Percy shook their hands again, and they Apparated together to Hermione and Ginny's.

"That was one of the more traumatizing moments in my life," Percy said jokingly.

"Oh, it wasn't all _that _bad," Hermione said, giggling. "I'll see you later, Perce."

"Night, Mione," he said, waving as he Disapparated. The easy part was over. Now they had to tell everyone else.

******

Saturday night, the Burrow was packed. There were nineteen people seated around the living room, kitchen, and in the garden. Of course the guests of honor were there, Bill and Fleur; they were talking with Molly and Arthur in the kitchen. Charlie had brought his girlfriend, Amanda, and Fred and George's girlfriends Angelina and Sarah were there; the six of them, and Percy, were out in the garden. Ron and Draco were sitting in the living room with, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Narcissa, Sirius, and his current girlfriend, Marjorie.

Hermione felt almost suffocated in the crowded room, and was glad that they were to be eating in the garden. She fanned her face with a hand, slowly sipping a glass of water. She and Percy were planning on telling everyone before dinner.

Across from her, Hermione could catch snatches of the whispered conversation Harry and Ginny were having. 'Do you want to now?' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Ginny replied, 'Let me go get Mum and Dad.' She quickly hopped up from her seat, heading into the kitchen. She returned after a few moments with Molly and Arthur in tow. "Everyone!" she said, clearing her throat. "Harry and I have an announcement to make."

Harry wrapped an arm firmly around her waist. "Ginny and I have decided to move in together." Everyone in the room broke into happy chatter with congratulations.

Hermione quickly stood up and hugged her friends. "That's great, guys," she said.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but we wanted to surprise everyone at once," Ginny told her. That was when a sudden thought struck Hermione. She and Percy couldn't tell them tonight. With Harry and Ginny's news on top of Bill and Fleur's engagement, their news would be too much. They'd simply have to wait for another time.

A few minutes after Harry and Ginny came back from the garden, where they had told the rest of the group their big news, Hermione sidled out there. "Percy, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked casually.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, sounding just as offhand. They walked upstairs quickly, stopping in Percy's old bedroom on the second landing.

Hermione sat down on his bed and sighed heavily. "We can't tell them tonight."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Percy replied, running a hand through his hair as he sat down beside her heavily.

"We'll just have to do it another time," she said, "When there _aren't _a million things going on. Although now…"

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I think our living arrangements might have been taken care of," she told him.

"How so?" Percy queried.

"Well, Ginny and I live in a three bedroom, you know, and we use the spare one as an office. Since she's moving out, her room will be empty. You can move in and use her room, and we can turn the office into a nursery," Hermione explained.

"Well that'll save us some trouble, won't it?" he joked, smiling.

They walked back downstairs, to find Molly calling everyone to eat. Hermione and Percy sat down at their seats at one of the large tables set in the garden; there were three assembled, and everyone was still pretty packed in.

As soon as everyone was settled in at the table, Arthur raised his glass. "I'd like to make a toast." Everyone followed his actions. "To Bill and Fleur. I wish you all the happiness life can bring."

"Hear, hear!" both Fred and George said loudly, making several people snort into their glasses. Hermione helped her plate with plenty of Molly's delicious confections, piling it high. She dug hungrily into her food. She had been famished lately, as was the curse of pregnancy. Her weird cravings hadn't stopped at all, either.

As she watched around the table, she sighed enviously at the happy couples. She really did want a relationship, but that was going to have to be put on hold for even longer now that she was pregnant. And trying to date with a child! That would be even harder.

As she continued to eat, everyone watched her in amusement. "Um, Mione," George said, motioning to her plate, "What's up with all of that?"

"George…" Sarah said warningly, giving him a look.

Hermione went a bit red. "I'm just hungry, I guess," she said, shrugging. She was feeling a bit irritated now. Percy looked simply livid, but he was attempting to conceal it.

"Seriously, Mione, if you keep eating like that, you're gonna get a bit heavy," Fred said.

"Fred Weasley!" Angelina said, slapping his arm. "Don't say things like that!"

"What?" he asked, "I'm just making a comment!"

"Oh, leave her alone," Ron said defensively.

"I'm just teasing," Fred said, "You never eat that much, so it's pretty funny. You know I'm only joking, right Hermione?"

As she started to reply, Percy yelled angrily. "She is eating for _two_!" Everyone around the table stopped and stared at her. Hermione's face burned bright red and she avoided everyone's gaze.

"Hermione?" asked Harry in wonder. "Are you…"

"Yes," she said quietly, "I'm pregnant."

"Who's the father? Jeremy?" said Draco. Hermione and Percy looked at each other guiltily.

"No," Percy said in a small voice, "…me."

"How could you get pregnant?" Ron demanded angrily. He was seated across the table from she and Percy.

"Well, I'm pretty sure in the usual way," she said quietly.

"How could you?" he yelled, glaring at Percy.

"It was an accident," Percy told him. "We were drunk and it just sort of… happened."

"And just what do you two plan on doing?" Molly asked.

"We're keeping it," Percy told her, swallowing hard.

"Percy, Hermione, would you please come with us for a moment?" Arthur asked, he and Molly standing up. Hermione and Percy tentatively followed them inside to the living room. "Now, exactly what happened?"

Hermione and Percy looked at each other for a moment. "Well," Hermione said, "Ginny thought that I could use a night out a couple of months ago, and she took me to a club. While I was there, I saw my ex-boyfriend kissing some girl, and I got pretty upset."

Percy took over from there. "I found Hermione sitting outside, and she was crying. We went to dinner and had a bit too much to drink. After that, well…" he trailed off, blushing furiously at talking about the subject with his parents.

"Have you been to see a doctor yet, Hermione?" Molly asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "The baby is fine."

"And what are your plans?" Arthur asked them. Neither he nor Molly looked angry or upset, but they both still appeared to be very surprised.

"Well, with Ginny moving out," Percy said, "I'm going to move in with Hermione, and we'll turn the office into a nursery."

"And you'll be able to care for a young child?" Molly questioned. "It is quite a task, I assure you."

"Well, we've discussed this several times," Hermione said, "And while it will be difficult, we'll be able to manage." After a few moments of tense silence, Molly and Arthur looked appeased.

"Alright, then," Molly said. She quickly stood and pulled both Percy and Hermione into a tight hug. When she let them go, there were tears in her eyes even though she was smiling broadly. She walked out of the room, quietly saying something about her first grandchild.

"Well," Arthur said, "We'll be supporting you two through this as much as you need us to."

"Thanks, Dad," Percy said, nodding. Arthur gave them a small smile before following his wife back towards the garden. After a moment, Percy said, "Ready to go back out there?"

"If we must," Hermione said, grinning. As they stepped outside, a hush fell over the group. Hermione and Percy sat down for what was going to be a _long _evening.

******

(A/N- Hermione sounds like a bit of a Daddy's girl, doesn't she? Yes, I realize that everyone would probably have taken that a bit worse than that, especially her parents, but I had terrible writers' block and I just wanted to push past this chapter so I could get started on the fun stuff. Plus, we'll hear plenty more on the parental responses in the future * hint hint *

About Fred making those rude comments: I'm sorry to anyone who loves Fred and George and doesn't think they'd be quite that blunt! I love Fred and George, too, but I felt it necessary to put that in there. It was my sister's idea for it to happen like that. She seems to have a lot of input on this, doesn't she?

To my reviewers, whom I love dearly:

Robyn- hmm, quite a long review! Sorry about Crookshanks, but cats have to die sometime! Thanks for the name suggestions.

Thalia- oh, I love that word: yayness! And Percy HAS to be responsible, as I really don't see him as the type just to leave her alone to deal with their kid on her own!

Loran- yeah, that'd be cool if you could be Fleur. I wish I could be in one of the movies, but we Americans don't even get a shot! Plus, the character I most resemble is probably an older Hermione, so I really couldn't do too much about that.

Lady of Werewolves- I love when I update too! It feels nice to get reviews (* hint hint *)

selene-chan- thank you very much!

Faith McKay- my mom gives me funny looks when I laugh during fics too. I'm sorry if I didn't email you, as my stupid ISP is always messing up…

Kazza- wasn't that funny? I didn't even mean to put that in when I wrote it, but when I went back and read over it before I posted I got the unintentional pun! I love doing that!

Skye Rocket- yes, you've gotta love those Weasley men (they AREN'T boys, as I would feel very, very guilty if they were…)

summerthyme- yeah, I know, the 'rents took it pretty good, but there will be much more about their reactions in the future.

HPFFG- wasn't he, though?

Until next time, I bid you adieu!)


	7. Sneak Peek

Disclaimer- I sincerely wish I owned all of the HP characters. I mean, how cool would that be? They could all do the dishes, make my bed, take out the trash, walk the dog… wow, that would be _sweet_!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 7: Sneak Peek

The day of Hermione's appointment, she hurriedly finished her work so she could get out of there sooner. As she scribbled down the last line on the parchment in front of her, the buzzer rang.

"Miss Granger, there is someone here to see you," Chelsea said, her voice lowering libidinously on 'someone'. Hermione quickly grabbed her cloak and her purse, heading into the lobby to find Percy shifting nervously under her secretary's inquisitive gaze.

"Alright, see you later Chelsea," Hermione said, holding back a snort.

"Bye," Chelsea replied softly, batting her eyelashes at Percy, who gave a quick wave before he hurried out after Hermione.

"Honestly, that woman…" he said, shuddering slightly. "I feel like a piece of meat!"

"Yes, well, you are devilishly handsome," Hermione told him, grinning and fawning over him jokingly as they headed towards the exit. She continued the behavior all the way to the doctor's office. (A/N- yeah, I know that last time she Apparated, but I say the office is in Diagon Alley, and that they didn't feel like wasting the perfectly good afternoon by Apparating)

They entered the office and Percy grimaced. As nearly everything in the entire place was some pastel color, and it wasn't exactly inviting for a man. "Oh, hush," Hermione said, swatting his arm as he scrunched his nose at a particularly pink bouquet of flowers. They quickly signed her in and sat back, only waiting for a few moments before she was called back.

"Alright, Miss Granger," said a young nurse, "put these on, and the doctor will see you in a few moments." Hermione turned to Percy, who had sunk down into a cushy chair near her bed.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Would you mind, um, you know, waiting outside?" Hermione asked, holding up the robe.

"Oh, right!" Percy replied, the tops of his ears reddening. "Sorry," he said, quickly stepping into the hallway. Hermione grinned as she exchanged her clothing for the exam robe, shaking her head slightly.

'He looks so cute when he does that!' she thought, carefully folding her blouse. As she realized what had just passed through her mind, she nearly dropped her shirt on the floor. 'I didn't just think that! No! Get that out of your head, Granger!' Hermione continued to silently berate herself as she stashed her folded clothes on the counter, settling herself on the table.

"Alright, come back in," she called to Percy, carefully folding her legs to prevent anything from being seen. He grinned nervously and sat back down in the chair he had previously been residing in.

Hermione and Percy sat in a tense silence for a few minutes, until the doctor came in. "Hello, Hermione!" she said brightly, a large smile adorning her face.

"Hi," Hermione replied, waving slightly.

"And who might this be?" Amelia asked, turning to Percy.

"This is Percy Weasley," she told her, "He's the father."

Percy quickly stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Hello, Percy, I'm Amelia Parker."

"Pleased to meet you," Percy said cordially, inclining his head slightly in a nervous manner.

Amelia seemed to sense this. "You know, I figured that Hermione would be the nervous one here," she said kindly. Hermione fought back a laugh, placing one hand over her mouth. Percy grinned apologetically, shrugging slightly.

"Just a bit anxious," he said, settling back down into his chair.

"Well, don't worry, this is just routine. I'll run a few tests to check on the baby, see if everything is fine, and those sorts of things," Amelia said, motioning for Hermione to lie back.

As the exam went along, Hermione and Percy both listened intently to everything the doctor had to say. Neither wanted to miss one thing she said, and both paid rapt attention.

When the exam was nearing a close, Amelia's face lit up as she examined the results from a test. "Well, I have some good news," she said happily.

"Yes?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I believe we can now conjure the image of the baby. If you want me to, that is," she said proudly, smiling at them both. Hermione turned to Percy, who was looking ecstatic.

Hermione bit her lip excitedly. "Yes, please!" Amelia smiled at her happily as she held her wand in front of her. Percy moved his chair, which had been moving steadily closer to Hermione as the exam had proceeded, so close to the bed that it was touching. He grabbed Hermione's hand, entwining their fingers.

"Are you ready?" Amelia asked, raising her eyebrows. Both Hermione and Percy nodded spiritedly. The obstetrician then recited a rather complicated incantation, tracing a pattern over Hermione's stomach. As she quickly swished her wand through the air, a small, flat box appeared. Amelia handed it to Hermione, giving her instructions to press the small button on the top before she left the room.

"Here goes," Hermione said, gripping Percy's hand tighter as she pressed the button. A small, holographic image appeared, showing them the tiny image that was their growing child.

"Oh my God…" Percy breathed, his mouth hanging open. Hermione felt a tear trickle out of her eye as she looked at the small image.

"That's our baby," she said softly, biting her lip as she moved a hand down to her stomach. Percy's hand moved down as well, both of them marveling at the image. A joyful laugh escaped Hermione. Percy started laughing quietly, his shoulders shaking.

"Our _baby_, Hermione!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her. Their joyous laughter filled the room as they shared the tender moment, the entire world lost to them except for themselves and the life that they had created.

******

After Hermione's appointment, she and Percy quickly Apparated to the Burrow, the image of their unborn child clutched tightly in Hermione's hand. "Mum? Dad?" Percy called out, hanging both of their cloaks over a chair.

"In the kitchen!" Molly called. Hermione and Percy quickly made their way in that direction, finding Molly, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Draco seated around the table.

"We've got big news," Percy said, grinning at the group.

"What is it?" Ron asked, sipping what appeared to be tea from a small mug.

"Didn't you have an appointment today, Hermione?" Ginny asked. Hermione grinned and nodded.

"What, were you two at it again?" Ron asked facetiously. "You know, you two might want to come up for air sometime." Percy scowled, but Hermione grinned smugly.

"Maybe you two should follow your own advice," Hermione remarked, waving at Draco and Ron. Ron blushed furiously and indicated that Hermione should continue. "The baby was far along enough to conjure the image," she told them happily, pulling the small box from behind her back.

"Really?" Molly asked, placing her hands firmly on the table to steady herself. She looked ready to jump up and dance around the kitchen.

"Yes," Percy said, nodding slightly. Hermione pressed the small button, the image of their baby popping up.

"Wow," Draco breathed, raising his eyebrows. Hermione's hand wandered down to her stomach again, only to find that Percy had already beaten her to it without her realizing it. A warm feeling ran through her entire body as she covered his hand with her smaller one, the entire group gazing at the picture of the unborn child.

Ginny suddenly jumped up and threw her arms around Hermione, squealing. Molly quickly joined in, the three women excitedly embracing and ignoring the amused looks the men were giving them.

"Isn't it sweet?" Ron asked, wrapping an arm around Draco's waist.

"Yeah," Draco replied, smiling sweetly at the image of the unborn child.

Molly and Ginny finally let Hermione go after a few moments, Hermione and Percy both settling into chairs around the table with the others. "My first grandbaby," Molly said, sniffling.

"Well don't cry, Mum!" Ginny said, looking close to tears herself.

"So what's going on?" Hermione asked as she tucked the small image box into her pocket.

"We're discussing the best way to get everyone's stuff moved tomorrow," Harry said, taking Ginny's hand into his. The next morning, most of the Weasley family (including Harry, Draco, and Hermione) were going to move Ginny's things into Harry's flat (Bill and Fleur were currently visiting Fleur's family in France, and would not be able to help). All of Percy's possessions would be moved in the afternoon.

"And what have we decided on?" Percy inquired.

"Well, we can Floo back and forth with most everything," Ginny said, "And we can Lighten all of the heavy stuff and Apparate with it and the breakable stuff."

"Sounds great to me," Hermione said, yawning. As she raised a hand to her mouth, she noticed the longest hand on the clock against the opposite wall had moved from 'work' to 'traveling', meaning that Arthur was now on his way home. A few moments later, he appeared with a soft 'pop' in the middle of the kitchen.

After everyone had said their hellos, he turned to Percy. "May I have a word with you, Percy?" he asked.

"Sure, Dad," Percy replied, quickly rising from his seat. The group continued their conversation, discussing their plans. After a moment, they could hear Percy and Arthur's raised voices.

The two men walked back into the room a few minutes later, Percy sitting down beside Hermione again. He looked determined, like he had just given his father a stern 'no' on some issue. 'What is it?' Hermione mouthed.

'Later,' he mouthed back. Hermione raised an eyebrow before turning back to answer a question Molly had just asked.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she said, smiling apologetically. After about twenty minutes, Hermione was completely exhausted. She'd had a long day, waking up in the early hours of the morning and throwing up.

"Maybe you should go get some sleep, Mione," Harry commented, noticing the fifth yawn she had given since she'd been there.

"Yeah, I suppose I should," she replied, rubbing her eyes.

"I'll make sure you get home okay," Percy said quickly, standing up. Hermione nodded as she let out another yawn, waving to the group as she Disapparated. She appeared in her flat after a moment, standing beside Percy.

"What did you talk with your Dad about?" she asked almost immediately; she knew that was the main reason Percy had seen her home.

"Well," he replied rolling his eyes. "My Dad and my Mum have come to the decision that I need to ask you to marry me."

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief. She and Percy had already discussed that issue, and had thoroughly decided against it. They could have a child together and not be married! After all, they were going to be living together to raise it.

"I know!" he said, snorting. "I told him that we'd already talked about it, and decided that we don't need to. Not like it's that important or anything. As long as we can take care of the baby, it'll all be fine."

"What a preposterous idea," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Alright," Percy said, "I've got to go. Make sure I'm ready for tomorrow, you know."

"Night, Perce," Hermione replied, waving. He quickly Disapparated, and Hermione headed to her room, glad to be able to get a good night's sleep.

******

(A/N- YAY! Pics of the baby! Isn't it sweet? Just to let you guys know, I have no idea how this pregnancy thing should go. The last time I was around a pregnant lady, I was five! Also, I don't know what a three-month-old fetus should look like, so I decided against describing it. Plus, that would have been pretty gross…

Alright, I figured that Molly and Arthur should feel that Hermione and Percy should get married. I kinda got the idea from Ross' parents on Friends about he and Rachel when she was pregnant. I mean, I just see them like that. And it adds a bit of controversy to the mix, right?

Okay, thanks to the reviewers:

Kazza- hmm, you just might be right… but you'll have to wait and see.

Loran- tsk tsk, when _will _we update…? No pressure or anything, though…

kjsparkles- there will be moving stuff next time.

HPFFG- don't worry, we'll find out soon. And if not, you'll know when it's born!

selene-chan- yeah, poor Charlie needs a bit of action. Thanks!

anastacy- there's more for ya!

Skye Rocket- feel free to 'weee' all you want! Thank you

Jade Straight- thanks for both reviews, and don't worry, it is NOT Jeremy's baby.

summerthyme- yeah, I'm glad you wanted the telling to be over with, as well. However, there IS the new pressure from Molly and Arthur…

Robyn- don't get me wrong, I LOVE reviews, and the longer they are, the better! And yes, I do know the gender of the baby, but I'm not telling yet! * sticks out tongue * Anyway, I'm not sure about George/Katie in the books, but I made up Sarah. I don't think that EVERYONE is supposed to marry their school sweethearts.

Akuma Kanada no Tenchi- hey, now, I'll gladly share Ron with ANYONE, as long as I can have Remus! I like smart guys… Anyway, Harry's all yours!

Lady Malfoy II- aww, thank you! Do I really write the characters in a real way? I don't like the way I write. My sister keeps telling me that I'm insane, but there you are! Was that soon enough for you?

Until next time, I wish you all to be happy, healthy, and fanfic-y!)


	8. Moving Day

Disclaimer- I don't own it, but if you _really _wanted me to, you could always send it c/o Gwen… nah, you know what? I don't want it all. Especially not Voldie, and what's with the evil Draco? My Draco is nice and sweet and sensitive! _Ron's_ Draco is gay, but _my_ Draco is all man, baby! Therefore, no, I don't want it all, just a few select items. _*cough*George*hack*Remus*sneeze*_

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 8: Moving Day

During the move the next day, Hermione felt quite irritated. Anytime she tried to lift a box that weighed much more than ten pounds, everyone jumped, trying to act casual about helping her with it as to not offend her. They were being quite unsuccessful at it. Harry had nearly broken a lamp as he witnessed Hermione lifting a box of Ginny's belongings, rushing over to take it from her; Molly had nearly yelled as she saw Hermione carrying bedding; and Charlie had almost fallen when he had refused her help to carry a rather heavy vanity mirror.

But Percy was the worst of all. He shadowed Hermione almost the whole time, rarely letting her lift anything that wasn't made of feathers or foam. "Percy, I'm fine!" she snapped, roughly seizing the box she had been carrying back from him. "I'm pregnant, not dying! Honestly!"

"Hermione, I know that," he said grabbing a box from the floor, "But you have to be careful. You can't lift too many heavy things, or you _or_ the baby could get hurt!"

"He's right, Hermione," Ron said as he passed them when he reentered the room.

"And tell me," she asked, "What do _you_ know about it?"

"I know well enough that you don't want to break your back," he said, tilting his head to the side. Hermione rolled her eyes, angry that Ron had to point out the obvious that she had been too busy to notice.

"Hermione, there are only a couple of boxes left," Ginny said, stepping into the room. "Why don't you just head home? We can take care of the rest of it." Hermione glared, but realized that she was rather tired and could use a rest.

"Okay, fine," she said, "I'll quit, if it will make you guys happy."

"Well, it would," Percy told her, nodding. Hermione shook her head and Apparated home, setting the box down in Percy's new bedroom before kicking back on the couch. Within ten minutes, all of the rest of Percy's things had been moved in.

"Thanks so much," Percy told his family as he stepped into the living room.

"Yeah, thank you," Ginny added.

"Yes, well, you do realize that the three of you will be helping in the shop for a couple of weekends to come, don't you?" George asked, looking at Percy, Ginny, and Harry.

"Hey, how come I have to help?" Harry asked.

"Well you're the one who got us into this moving business in the first place!" Fred told him.

"Oh yeah…" Harry replied, absentmindedly wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist.

"Well, come on kids, let's let everyone get settled in," Molly said. As everyone said their good-byes, Hermione and Ginny walked towards each other.

"Well, I guess this is it, then, Mione," Ginny said sadly.

"Yeah," Hermione replied, biting her lip. She had known that it would be tough to say goodbye to Ginny after they had been living together for the past two and a half years.

"I mean," Ginny said, "it's like the end of an era or something."

"It is, isn't it?" Hermione replied, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Both women quickly wrapped their arms around one another. "I'll miss you, Ginny."

"I'll miss you too, Hermione!" Ginny sobbed; Hermione was now openly crying. Neither of them noticed the amused snorts and snickers from around the room. After several minutes, the two women broke apart to find that the room was empty, save for themselves, Percy, and Harry. Ginny immediately latched on to Harry.

"We'll have lunch tomorrow, okay?" Hermione said, sniffling.

"Alright," Ginny replied, "Bye Mione."

"Bye Gin," Hermione said sadly as Ginny and Harry Disapparated. She sat down heavily in her favorite armchair, sighing. Noticing Percy's attempts to conceal laughter, she scowled. "What?"

"That was just rather cute, is all," Percy replied, grinning as he sat down opposite Hermione on the couch. Hermione resisted the urge to make a rather rude finger gesture, instead opting to stick her tongue out at Percy.

"Do shut up, won't you?" she asked in an ill-tempered voice.

"Oh, you know you love me," Percy replied jokingly, jumping up and heading towards his new bedroom. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unpacking to do." Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled, picking up the papers on the coffee table, reading through the latest report on Flobberworms, written by none other then Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts. Hermione also worked very closely with him when dealing with Magical creatures.

As she read through the report, Hermione could feel her eyes starting to droop. She was completely exhausted from the day's move. She forced herself to continue reading, trying, in vain, to stay awake. Before long, she was snoozing with her head resting on the arm of her chair.

She was still asleep a half-hour later when Percy came into the living room. He gave a lopsided smile at her sleeping form, approaching her chair and setting the report on the coffee table. He gently lifted Hermione's unresisting form from the chair, cradling her against his chest.

Percy quietly carried Hermione to her bedroom, carefully placing her on top of her coverlet. He grabbed a blanket from the edge of her bed and placed it over her, bringing it up to her shoulders. Percy placed a soft kiss on Hermione's forehead, gently brushing a curl behind her ear.

"Good night, Hermione," he whispered quietly, smiling as he pulled the door to.

******

(A/N- sorry for such a short chapter, but it was the best place to stop that I could find this time. Wasn't that sweet, though? Percy putting Hermione to bed… awww!

Hey, did anyone catch Porn n' Chicken on Comedy Central tonight? It was pretty funny, although I don't recommend it for anyone under thirteen.

Anyway, for my reviewers:

Thalia- see, I thought they would be. Did you enjoy the chapter?

Loran- _passing?_ Who _passes_ exams? Hehehe… no death stares!

Patsy- yeah, people really need to write more Percy/Hermione stuff. And I believe you're right, Hermione does have at least a tolerance of Percy (well, not about the Winky situation…)

PINK Lady- hey, that's mean! I wouldn't cut the poor kid in half! J/K! Anyway, there might be romance, there might not be… well, what do you think? If you've read any of my other stuff, you know exactly where this will head eventually.

Skye Rocket- thank you very, very, very much!

Summerthyme- yes, Attack of the Convenient Plot Devices! Mwahaha! Sorry, I really need to see Star Wars: Episode II again soon… everything is Attack of This, Attack of That!

HPFFG- sorry, I know that this wasn't soon… at least I'm not making anyone wait a month! Man, I couldn't even do that!

Jade Straight- thanks!

kermie says ribbit- awesome name, and thank you!

Kazza- we'll hear more from her secretary later… maybe. Definitely more parental pressure, though.

Sophius- I can't drop _everything_! My mom would kill me! But thanks for the suggestion, though (If it were up to me, I would drop everything and just write all the time!)

Lady Malfoy II- okay, can I just call you Kate from now on? Lady Malfoy II is a lot to type when you've got a hangnail… and thank you very much. I'm glad you like my Percy (I do too…)

Lady of Werewolves- yeah, Molly and Arthur are pretty typical parents, in my imagination. Thank you, BTW!

Pottersangel- glad you like the pairing!

See you later, guys! Please review, if you don't mind.)


	9. Showers and Stories

Disclaimer- I am not even bothering with this in this chapter. If you want to read a disclaimer, I suggest you go to another chapter! WAIT NO!!! DON'T DO THAT!!! READ THIS!!!

DEDICATION- Chapter Nine is dedicated to Jade Straight, who gave me the 100th review! Way to go, love ya lots! * FIREWORKS * THEME MUSIC * MORE FIREWORKS *

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 9: Showers and Stories

As time went on, Hermione began to enjoy having Percy as a roommate. He was perpetually neat, as was Hermione, so she the flat was never messy. He didn't have nearly as many articles of clothing as Ginny, and Hermione marveled at the space she had in her closet now that she got it all to herself.

One night, around four months into the pregnancy, Hermione woke up just after midnight, hungry. A new craving was hitting her this time. "Mmm, pickles and marshmallow cream," she said, licking her lips. Hermione quickly slipped on her bathrobe and slippers, walking quietly as to not wake Percy.

As it turned out, she didn't have to worry about it, as Percy was already awake. "What are you doing up, Mione?" he asked, slowly sipping a mug of warm milk.

"Hungry," Hermione said simply, patting her now expanding belly. She quickly gathered the jar of pickles from the refrigerator and the marshmallow cream from the cupboard. Sitting down at the table, she was subject to Percy's interested gaze.

"New craving?" he asked knowingly.

"Yep," she replied as she bit into her first cream-covered pickle. "Yeah, that hits the spot." Percy chuckled at her. "So why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he replied, shrugging. "Guess this'll be something we both have to get used to pretty soon. You know, being up all night."

"Yeah," Hermione said thoughtfully, biting her lip. That was something she had been thinking about lately. Once the baby was born, neither of them would get much sleep, waking at crazy hours to feed the baby.

"Are you… well, looking forward to this?" Percy asked.

Hermione thought for a moment. "Yes and no," she said slowly. "I mean, I am _not_ looking forward to giving birth, getting fat, having my ankles swell, and all of those thing, but there are just so many good things to counter those."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well," she said, a small smile appearing on her face. "First off, baby shopping; getting to actually hold her in my arms after she's born; watching her grow up; sending her off to Hogwarts…"

Percy got the dreamy smile for a moment, as well, until a puzzled look struck him. "She?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione froze; she hadn't realized she'd been referring to the baby as 'she'. "Well, I, um, kind of want a girl. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd love a boy just as much, but a girl…"

"You do?" Percy asked curiously.

"Yeah," Hermione replied truthfully. "Why, do you want a boy?"

Percy shook his head. "I actually want a girl, too," he said quietly.

"Really?" she asked. "You want a girl?"

Percy blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I mean, I don't know why, but I've always wanted a girl. Something about having all of those brothers growing up and wanting a change." Hermione gave Percy a small smile and reached over the table, gently squeezing his hand.

******

Hermione and Ginny got together at least three times a week to chat and catch up. It was hard at first to adjust to not seeing each other as often as they had, but they got past it eventually.

One Saturday, the girls decided to start going shopping for the baby. They went to a new shop in Hogsmeade, called 'The Baby Spot.' As they walked through the doors, both Hermione and Ginny were in awe. Ever single shelf, cupboard, and display was covered with all sorts of different things for parents to buy for their young children, from clothes to toys to highchairs to bottles.

"Oh, how cute is this?" Ginny squealed, picking up the nearest article of clothing, a frilly pink dress.

"Aww," Hermione said softly, gently fingering the material. She quickly snapped from her nostalgia. "But we aren't here to buy clothes. We just need to check out a few things today, and maybe buy some cheap furniture."

"But I thought you said you and Percy would be able to cover the expense," Ginny said as they began to walk through the store.

Hermione bit her lip. "We will, it's just that we don't have anything saved up yet. We're going to wait to buy the less important stuff until we have to." Ginny's eyes suddenly lit up, making Hermione very nervous. Whenever Ginny got a look like that, it generally meant trouble. "What?" she asked tentatively.

"Oh, nothing!" Ginny replied brightly, practically skipping down the aisle. Hermione glared at the girl momentarily before going back to comparing prices on strollers.

When the two women left the store an hour later, they were empty-handed. Ginny, for some reason, had talked Hermione out of buying anything, not giving her any real reasons.

"Alright, Mione," Ginny said, giving Hermione a quick hug, "I've got to go talk to Mum. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Gin," Hermione replied, waving. She quickly Disapparated, reappearing in her living room. Percy was sitting in an overstuffed chair beside the fire, shuffling through some papers.

"Hi, Hermione," he said, looking at her over the top of his reading glasses. "Find anything good?"

"Yeah, but Ginny was acting really weird," she replied, turning towards the kitchen, "I'll tell you about it in a minute." She quickly marched over to the fridge, pulling out the leftover container of vegetable soup she'd cooked the day before. Hermione made sure to add plenty of black pepper and hot sauce before she warmed it, as she was now craving spicy things.

When the bowl was steaming and she had plenty of crackers, Hermione slowly walked back into the living room, carefully sitting the bowl on the coffee table. "Okay," she said, "We found this really great store in Hogsmeade."

"Did you get anything?" Percy asked, once again watching her over his glasses. After Hogwarts, he had gone to see a Muggle optometrist, getting contact lenses. He now only wore his glasses when reading.

"See, that's where Ginny started acting funny," Hermione said, "She didn't want me to buy anything."

"Any idea why?" he asked curiously. Hermione shook her head as she swallowed a spoonful of soup.

"She wouldn't say anything," she said, shrugging. "Knowing Ginny, it could be anything."

******

And Hermione discovered the 'anything' exactly two weeks later as she and Percy walked into the Burrow. Molly had told them to be there at eleven o' clock, on the dot.

"SURPRISE!!!" yelled twelve voices as they were pelted with a variety of pastel pink and blue confetti. Hermione's jaw dropped. Ginny's idea had been for a baby shower.

"What's all this?" Percy asked as he shook the bits of paper out of his crimson hair.

"A baby shower!" Ginny said excitedly, almost jumping up and down. The other occupants of the room were Molly, Harry, Ron, Draco, Fleur, Angelina, Sarah, Amanda, Parvati, Padma, and Lavender.

"Oh, you guys!" Hermione said happily, tears springing to her eyes. She began to sob quietly, bringing a hand to her face.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Ron asked concernedly. She nodded, biting her lip.

"Just my stupid hormones," she said tearfully. Percy quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her sit down, grabbing a tissue.

"She'll be getting mood swings for a while," Molly explained to Ron, Harry, and Draco, who had no knowledge of such things. Hermione's sobs lessened slightly, and she couldn't help but feel warm where Percy's arm was still around her shoulders.

"Okay, I'm fine, now," she said, smiling apologetically.

"Alright, let's get to the presents!" Angelina said, grinning. She, Padma, and Lavender all gathered the group of wrapped boxes and decorated bags from behind the couch, placing them on the floor in front of Hermione and Percy.

"Open this one first," Parvati said, indicating a large purple box on the top. Percy gently took it from the pile and handed it to Hermione.

"Here, you do the honors," he said, nodding towards the box. Hermione smiled as she gently pulled off the ribbons and paper, revealing a handmade yellow baby blanket.

"Oh, Parvati…" Hermione said, pulling the blanket from the box.

"I've been working on it for a month," Parvati told her, smiling proudly.

"Thank you!" Hermione replied, gently folding the blanket back into the box. All in all, she and Percy received several little baby outfits (to which all the girls cooed), many bottles and pacifiers, a great stuffed lion from Harry ("For the little Gryffindor," he had said), a huge collection of assorted stuffed animals, cloth diapers, picture books, teeny tiny shoes, a stroller, a set of maternity robes, and to top it all off, several books of childcare for the studious parents.

"This is really great," Percy said as he carefully piled all of the gifts on the floor beside him when the last package had been unwrapped a while later.

"Thank you all so very much," Hermione said, looking fondly at a fluffy yellow stuffed duck that was seated on her lap.

"It's no problem," Molly said, smiling.

"Come on, Mum, let's hear some of your stories about being a mother," Ginny said. "Let Hermione know what she's getting herself into with _Percy's_ kid." Percy shot her a look playfully.

"I'll have you know I was an excellent baby," he said, raising his chin.

"Well…" Molly said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Actually, you weren't all that good or the first couple of months. You would always get very fussy whenever you weren't on a perfect schedule." Ginny and Ron both snorted very loudly, attempting to conceal their laughter. Hermione simply smiled at Percy, sympathetically patting his arm.

"Now, now," Hermione said, "We all know that Percy was quite an exceptional child when he got a bit older." Percy nodded appreciatively at her.

"Yes," Molly agreed, "Percy was quite agreeable when he got around six months. Now, for a troublesome toddler…"

Angelina interrupted her. "Let me guess, Fred and George?"

"Actually," Molly said thoughtfully, "They didn't start acting up until they were around five. _Ron_ gave me the most trouble as a toddler!"

"I did not!" he cried indignantly. Draco sat up and looked at Molly questioningly, a huge grin on his face.

"What did he do?"

"Well, he didn't like to share his toys, he wouldn't eat any vegetables, oh, and he did _not_ like to keep his clothes on."

"Oh _really_?!" Draco asked gleefully, turning to Ron, who was now bright red. The entire room burst into laughter.

"How about Bill?" asked Fleur (A/N- I don't do accents, so just picture it in your head, okay?).

"Well, Bill was a very sweet boy. Always wanted to help me in the kitchen, he kept his room tidy, and he would just jump at the chance to go to town."

"And Charlie?" Amanda inquired.

"Charlie was Quidditch-crazy from the word 'go'. His first word was 'snitch'. When he got to be a bit older, the only time you wouldn't find him on a broom, he was playing with his dragon toys."

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked slyly, placing an arm around her waist.

Molly sighed whimsically. "Ginny was a little angel. She was a surprisingly feminine child for having six brothers. Always liked to have tea parties and play dress up with my clothes."

"Aww, Gin," Harry said, softly kissing her temple. "That's so cute!"

"Although it was a lot cuter when Ron would play with her," Molly said, once again making Draco grin, Ron blush, and the entire group laugh hysterically.

******

(A/N- hehehe, Ron was a naked little baby! Well, except when he played with Gin… anyway, how was that one?

I, for one, and glad to see that Percy and Hermione agree that they want a girl, but who knows if they will? Okay, well, _I_ do. You'll know soon enough. Don't worry, there will be more baby shopping, with Herm and Perce.

Also, I just posted a new story tonight. It is a Harry/Hermione fic, and it is rather angsty for most of the story. Quite unlike me, I know, but it has a really sappy ending to make up for that. Please go read it, if you don't mind (and if you like Harry/Hermione).

For my lovely reviewers:

PhoenixRae- ooh, thank you very much!

Kazza- I'll let you decided what you thought Percy's actions were. * wink, wink * Don't want to give the story away or anything.

pamela-potter-24- I'll try to go read your story tonight, but I make no promises for my evil ISP…

Thalia- aren't they, though? I think Percy in particular is adorable!

janie- question? Is it Draco and Ron that offends you, or the slash in general? Cuz if it's slash in general, I put the warning in on the story description. If it's Ron with Draco, then that's your problem, and I suggest you get over it.

Loran- well, I'm glad you got over your headache and are now all hyper!

Bella O- I love all (good) reviews, no matter how long they are. But if you give reviews with more content, I _do_ have more to say to you here… and thank you very much!

HPFFG- I won't say anything on the topic, no matter how much I want to…

Yukito Forever- Hmm, maybe… You'll know eventually!

Skye Rocket- thanks, much! You always give me such nice reviews!

Keeperfan726- hey, I like the name! I always love it when people work other aspects of HP into their names than just adding their names to Weasley or Malfoy or something… not Potter, though, that's fine!(yeah, just cuz that's what I did!) Thank you very much!

kjsparkles- FIVE awwwes?! I'm touched! * tear * There is your more Perce and Mione!

Jade Straight- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! You gave me the 100th review, and you totally rule! I hope you enjoyed that chap, since it was dedicated to you!

Laureen N. Edgeworth- I love Percy too * sigh * Thanks very much!

Well, adios and aloha!)


	10. Kicking

Disclaimer- I wish I owned Harry Potter. And Percy Weasley. And Draco Malfoy. Oh well, maybe next year.

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 11: Kicking

The weather slowly became colder as the weeks got later. One evening, Hermione and Percy quickly walked into their flat, shivering. Hermione was muttering angrily under her breath.

"Well how was I supposed to know it would start raining?" Percy asked logically; Hermione simply glared at him. They had gone for a bite to eat at the Leaky Cauldron, and the rain had started to pour as they walked home.

Hermione and Percy both headed for their bedrooms quickly, changing into dry clothes. That was something else that was irking Hermione. Her ever-expanding belly was getting larger and larger, and she now had to wear baggy maternity clothing.

As soon as she was comfortably dry, Hermione headed towards the kitchen to find Percy already there. "Here," he said, handing Hermione a mug of warm hot chocolate. "How about we go warm up a bit?"

"That sounds great," Hermione said, taking a deep drink from her cup. She Levitated the sofa so it was sitting right in front of the fire before she sat down almost directly in front of the grate; Percy sat down right beside her so he could also take advantage of the warm flames.

Hermione quickly rubbed her hands together as she tried to warm herself; she was absolutely shivering. Percy noticed, of course, being almost in direct contact with her.

"Let me get a blanket," he said, sounding worried as he pulled his wand from his pocket. With a quick _'Accio!'_, a warm blanket came soaring in the room. Percy spread it over himself and Hermione, wrapping his arms around her. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," Hermione replied, sinking down into his warm embrace and resting her head on his shoulder. As she breathed in the spicy scent of his cologne, Hermione's head spun. 'Knock it off, Granger!' she thought silently, resisting the temptation to smack herself on the head. 'You and Percy are just friends, and will never be more. Don't think like that!'

However, another, more devious part of her mind chose that moment to kick in. 'But you want it to be, don't you? You want to turn to him and kiss him senseless.' Hermione chewed on the inside of her lip. 'I don't like Percy like that, do I?' And again, the devious side of her mind started up. 'I think it's a little more than 'like', honey.'

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said, this time out loud.

"What?" Percy asked, turning his head to her. Hermione blushed furiously when she realized she had spoken out loud.

"Nothing," she said quickly, staring intently into the fire.

******

One Monday not too long after, Hermione was having an awful day. She had woken up late after being up all night and had to rush to work with just enough time to brush her teeth and throw on her robes, only to find out that she was still late. She had left her latest report, due that day, at home, her robes were feeling very tight as she needed to buy new ones _yet again,_ she had to work through lunch to make up for the time she'd lost in the morning, and to top it all off, she ran into a door, smacking her head _very_ hard.

Needless to say, when she got home, she was in an absolutely dreadful mood. She stormed into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner, not even bothering to see if Percy was home yet. As soon as she had everything on the stove, she sat down heavily in a chair, resting her forehead against the cool wood.

Percy tentatively poked his head in. "Hermione?" he asked cautiously.

"What?" she asked sharply, lifting her head to glare at him. Percy cowered under her gaze.

"Um, nothing," he said, shaking his head as he quickly made an exit from the room. Hermione placed her head on the table again, feeling angry tears welling in her eyes. And try as she might to fight them, they came pouring out.

After a few minutes, Percy tried his luck again. "Mione, are you alright?" he asked, placing a hand on her back. Hermione hadn't even heard him enter the room.

"No," she said tearfully, "I had a _really_ awful day."

"Oh, come here," Percy said softly, pulling her into a hug. Hermione sobbed into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's alright, Mione," he said, uttering soft, comforting noises in her ear as he stroked her hair.

"Thank you," Hermione breathed, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"It's no problem," Percy replied quietly, placing a soft kiss on her temple. "What happened?"

Hermione sighed heavily. "I woke up late, I forgot my report, I didn't get to have lunch, and I walked into a door!"

"Aww, poor baby," he said, gently brushing her hair away from her face. Suddenly remembering the food on the stove, Hermione quickly tried to jump up.

"Oh, dinner'll be ruined!" she moaned. Percy quickly put his hands on her shoulder and made her sit down.

"Just relax, I'll take care of it. You do too much as it is," he said, quickly marching to the stove and stirring the sauce. Hermione sat back in her chair and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. As Percy stood over the stove, Hermione couldn't help but think of how she'd felt when he'd hugged her. He was very warm and soft, and his touch had sent jolts throughout her body.

'Stop it!' she ordered her brain. Once again, that irritating voice in the back of her head spoke up. 'Stop what? Falling for him? Ha, ha, too late!' Hermione groaned silently. She knew it was true she _was _falling for Percy. As complicated as the situation already was, she had to go and make it more so. 'God, I hate myself sometimes.'

A few moments later, Percy pulled the roast out of the over. "Diner!" he said brightly. They ate in a companionable silence, each of them lost in their thoughts. Hermione was still very mad at her subconscious for pointing out the obvious. 'As if Percy would ever feel anything for me,' she thought sadly, poking at her food. For one who missed lunch, she sure wasn't hungry.

When they had both finished eating (Percy hadn't eaten much, either), they took their dishes to the sink, where Percy washed and Hermione dried, much to Percy's chagrin. When he had subtly suggested that she go sit down by the fire, she had told him in a very unsubtle way where he could go. (A/N- remember, those crazy hormones are running away with what she says!)

As soon as the last dish was dry and put away, Hermione turned to Percy. "_Now_ I'll go sit down."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling.

Just before Hermione got to the door, she stopped suddenly, placing a hand on her stomach. "Oh!" she said, breathing deeply.

"Hermione, what is it?" Percy asked urgently, rushing over. "What's the matter?"

A sudden smile hit Hermione's face, one that could have lit up the sky. "Percy, the baby kicked."

"It did?" he asked in wonder.

"Yes," she replied, taking Percy's hand. "Here, feel." Hermione gently placed his hand where hers had been previously, and Percy nearly jumped when he felt the tiny kick.

"Oh, wow…" he said softly, his face also lighting up. "Mione, this is wonderful." Percy quickly dipped his head and kissed Hermione's cheek, pulling her into a hug. Luckily, he didn't see the blush that rose on her cheeks. She put her arms around him and hugged back for several moments, until Percy laughed.

"What is it?" she asked, pulling back.

"I felt it kicking," he said softly, rubbing his stomach where her belly had been pressed against him. Hermione just grinned and hugged him again. The day was now officially classified as 'good'.

******

(A/N- aww, wasn't that sweet? I originally had an angsty ending to that chapter, but I decided to change it, as I couldn't stand Hermione being all sad.

To the wonderful, lovely, terrific reviewers:

Kazza- I thought the little things Molly told them were cute, too, and thanks very much!

Loran- your little sister sounds so cute! "I a tiger…" How adorable!

Lady of Werewolves- glad you liked baby Ron

Thalia- Ron was rather adorable, in my opinion. Thanks so much! (And for letting me be the lounge singer at FictionAlley Park!)

FairLady- well, maybe we will, maybe we won't… I haven't decided if I want to torture you all or not *maniacal grin* Um, okay, I guess you realize there will most likely be Percy/Herm stuff EVENTUALLY! But not yet!

Skye Rocket- aww, thanks! I rather like my Percy, as well!

HPFFG- didja like my new story? I can't remember all my reviews! But thanks a lot!

Taryn- they are rather bookish, huh? Hope you enjoyed this, as well!

kjsparkles- thanks so much! I'm glad you like my story so much!

summerthyme- the whole No clothes!Ron came from my sister, who was naked all the time when she was really little (well, like one and two). And no biggie on missing the chapter: there are plenty more where that one came from!

Patsy- well, they might, but I don't promise anything! Hope you enjoyed this!

drama queen- wow, really? Your first Perce/Herm story? And Ron/Draco stuff? That's so cool (well, for me!) I am so glad to see that everyone loved the naked Ron stuff! And sorry this chapter was short, but we had major baby stuff!

SilverMoon- we'll see, we'll see… well, you'll see, I already know!

gohansfollower- awesome name! Um, yeah, they are though, aren't they? I rather like them as a couple, and I wish more people would write Percy/Herm fics!

PhoenixRae- okay, maybe I'll subcat this as Humor… anyway, thank you!

Akuma Kanada no Tenchi- yep, Dragon boy is as gay as they come in here… maybe I'll finish this Draco/Ginny I'm working on to make it up to you! But we must love Tea Party!Ron.

Jade Straight- glad you liked your chapter! And to whomever gives the 150th review: you'll get a chapter, as well! Maybe we'll see some Percy/Herm stuff in a few chapters, but I haven't decided how much I'll let you guys suffer! Mwahaha…

Okay, thanks everyone! If you guys wouldn't mind, would you please review and let me know what you think? I'd really appreciate it. LUV YA!)


	11. The Date

Disclaimer- No owning for me today. Maybe tomorrow- or not.

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 11: The Date

At just over six months into the pregnancy, Hermione was feeling down. Her stomach was huge, her ankles were swollen, and her mood swings kept getting worse. On her day off, she got prepared for a lazy day of reading. With a large bottle of water, a bowl of pretzels (her latest craving), and a roaring fire, she was set for the morning. Well, until her bladder, which was practically the size of a grape, decided to act up.

With the flat all to herself, Hermione sat back and began to read 'Bright Passion'. It was one of those trashy romance novels, a gag gift she had gotten from Ginny that was actually quite good. Ever since she had gotten it a year before, it had become one of her favorite books.

By the time she had gotten to page forty, where Adrienne was being seduced by the calculating Lord Cristoff, Hermione was feeling even more depressed. All of the women in the book were written as beautiful busty blondes and redheads with waists the size of toothpicks and legs that went on forever. Hermione kept reading, however, sneering at the passages that mentioned the women.

Munching slowly on a pretzel, Hermione heard the soft 'pop' of Apparition in the entry hall. "Hermione? Are you here?"

Hermione sighed as she closed her book. She should have known better than to think she'd have a day alone. "Yeah, Ron, in the living room." As the redhead walked into the living room, Hermione carefully placed her book on the end table.

"What's up, Mione?" Ron asked. "How are you?"

"We're fine," Hermione said, softly patting her stomach. Ron smiled as he sat down across from her. "What've you been up to?"

"Not much," he replied, "It's been rather boring since Draco's been gone." Draco had had to go to Japan for a week on some business with Gringotts. (A/N- did I say what Draco does? I can't remember at the current moment if I did or not) Hermione simply gave Ron a lopsided smile and nodded. "Mione, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, shaking her head.

"Bollocks," Ron said, "What's the matter?"

Hermione sighed. "I guess I'm just a bit depressed. I mean, look at me! I'm as big as a house, I feel miserable, and I haven't even been on a date since Jeremy. Although who would want to go out with me, I have no idea."

"Oh, Mione, don't give me that," he replied. Suddenly, Ron looked thoughtful. "Say, Hermione, why don't I take you out?"

Hermione shot him a look. "Right, Ron. I'm sure," she said sarcastically.

"I'm serious!" he said, smiling. "Come on, just you and me, we'll go to dinner. Let you remember what a date's like."

"Won't Draco get jealous?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"Actually," Ron said, "He'd had an idea like this one the other day."

"Well…" she said, biting her lip.

"Come on, Hermione," he replied firmly.

After a moment, Hermione sighed. "Alright, Ron; I'll go out with you," she said, smiling slightly.

"Great!" he said brightly, jumping up. "I'm gonna go get everything taken care of." He quickly gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek before he Disapparated.

"Why do I let myself get drug into these things?" Hermione asked the empty room.

******

At seven-thirty, Hermione was seated in front of her vanity table, carefully fastening a gold chain around her neck. Ron was taking her to an Italian restaurant in Muggle London, Buca di Beppo (A/N- that is the name of an Italian restaurant near where I live. There might very well be a restaurant called that in London, but I have no idea!). She was wearing a simple black dress with her black, platform sandals, gold jewelry topping off the outfit.

As she buckled the clasp on her shoe, she heard Ron call out from the living room. "I'll be right there, Ron!" she called, gently smoothing her hair. When she was certain that her appearance was as near to flawless as she could get it, she grabbed her handbag from the edge of her bed.

"Mione, you look terrific, love!" Ron said, standing up from his perch on the arm of the couch. He was wearing charcoal-gray trousers and a dark blue sweater; he looked simply dashing.

"Oh, sure," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"No, you really do," he assured her, "You're practically glowing!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said noncommittally. "So let's get to this restaurant."

"Don't you want to tell Percy we're leaving?"

"Oh, he had to work late and I left him a note," she said impatiently; she had eaten an early lunch as Ron had told her not to be full when they got to the restaurant, and she was now very hungry. "Can we go?"

"Certainly," he said, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm. They quickly Apparated to the restaurant, noticing the many cars that lined the parking lot. As soon as they stepped inside, they could see that it was quite crowded.

"Ron…" Hermione said nervously, surveying the swarming restaurant. "Are you sure we'll be able to get a table?"

"Do you doubt me, Mione?" Ron replied teasingly. "I made reservations!"

"Well, good," she said as they approached the hostess's console.

"Hi, welcome to Buca di Beppo!" the young, blonde hostess said brightly. "How can I help you?"

"We've got reservations," Ron told her. "Two for Weasley."

The hostess carefully scanned her book, her finger stopping halfway down. "Oh, right this way, Mr. Weasley," she said as she grabbed two menus and took off. Ron grasped Hermione's hand as they walked through the restaurant, being seated at a small booth in the non-smoking section. The hostess bid them farewell as she took off for the front, assuring them that their waitress would be with them shortly.

"Would you look at this place?" Ron said, looking around at the pictures and illustrations on the walls. Barely an inch of paint was showing between the works of art.

"Very picturesque," Hermione said, eagerly opening her menu.

A short while later, an attractive, muscular waiter dressed in a white dress shirt and black trousers approached their table. "Hi, my name is Jacob, and I'll be your waiter this evening."

"Hi Jacob," Ron said, giving him a dazzling smile. Hermione had to restrain herself from giving a very loud laugh.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Yes," Ron replied, "I'll have a glass of your finest wine."

"And for you, Miss?" Jacob asked, turning to Hermione.

"Just a glass of water, thanks," she said.

"I'll be right back with those," he said, smiling. Hermione watched in amusement as Ron's eyes followed Jacob all the way to the kitchen.

"Tsk, tsk, Ron," she said, a small laugh escaping her.

"What?" he asked, the tops of his ears turning red.

"Checking out the waiter. What would Draco think?"

"Draco would be checking him out, as well," Ron said, bringing his menu almost against his nose to hide his blush. "So, um, what looks good to you?"

"Hmm, I don't know," Hermione replied playfully, "But I _do_ know what looks good to you…"

"Sod off," he said quietly. Hermione had the notion that he was blushing even more furiously behind the menu. Before Jacob came back, they had decided to share a dish of cannelloni and a plate of fettuccine.

"Okay," Jacob said, setting down their drink orders, "What can I get you tonight?"

"I think we'll have the cannelloni and an order of fettuccine," Ron said charmingly, clasping his hands on the table.

"That'll be right out, then," Jacob replied, raising his eyebrows appreciatively at Ron. As soon as he was out of sight, Hermione couldn't hold in her laughter. Clutching her chest and resting her head on the table, she was overcome with giggles.

"Oh, _that's_ good," she said jovially, bringing her napkin to her face to muffle the sound of her now gasping laughter. Ron buried his head in his arms.

Soon enough, Hermione calmed down and quit teasing Ron. They talked about work and how the baby was doing, and before long their food arrived. 

"Can I get you anything else?" Jacob asked, smiling sweetly at Ron and practically ignoring Hermione. She disguised another laugh as the waiter openly flirted with Ron.

"No, I think that'll get us for now," Ron said.

"Well let me know if you need anything," Jacob added, winking. Hermione nearly bit through her lip as she stifled her laughter.

"Shut up, shut up, _please_ shut up," Ron begged when Jacob had left. Hermione hit the seat of the booth several times while she struggled to catch her breath.

"O- o- okay," she said, taking a sip of her water. "I'll stop." Ron was once again blushing, and Hermione wondered if his face would catch fire if he continued much longer.

"Well, anyway," he said, changing the subject, "I wanted your opinion on something."

"What?" she asked, keeping her sarcastic remarks in check.

"Mine and Draco's anniversary is coming up, and we want to take a vacation, but we don't know where we should go."

"Hmm," Hermione said, twirling her fettuccine covered fork. "Do you have anywhere that you want to go?"

"That's the problem," Ron said, "We have no ideas. I suggested that we go to the Bahamas for the beach, and Draco said France. Lots of culture, you know."

Hermione bit her lip as she thought. "Well, you guys could go to… oh, what about Athens?"

"Athens?" he asked quizzically.

"Yeah!" Hermione said, much more certain of her answer. "You've got the beach, and it's quite cultured. Greece has plenty of great history, too."

Ron cocked his head to the side, a smile appearing on his face. "That's a great idea, Mione," he said, "I'll ask Draco about it."

"Glad I could be of some help," she said brightly.

Hermione and Ron continued talking and eating for two hours, laughing about old times and talking about the future. When the restaurant crowd thinned out around ten and they were receiving nasty looks from the waiting staff (not Jacob, of course), they quickly drew their meal to a close.

"Hey," Ron said as he paid the check (he refused to let Hermione take care of her half), "why don't we go get some ice cream?"

"That sounds good," Hermione said, smiling. "But I'm paying."

When they left the restaurant, they Apparated to Diagon Alley, outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, which was open 'til eleven. Hermione purchased two small cones, strawberry for her and chocolate for Ron. They walked slowly around Diagon Alley and continued their conversation. Eventually, they ran out of ice cream and approached Hermione's flat.

As they walked up the stairs, Ron sighed. "You know, we don't do this enough. Just you and me, talking, having dinner."

"Yeah, it's nice," Hermione commented, "We really should do this more often." She quickly drew her keys out of her purse and unlocked the front door, Ron following behind her. Percy was sitting quite rigidly on the couch and he jumped up as soon as he saw them.

"Where have you been!?" he demanded. "I was worried sick!"

"We went to dinner," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.

"And you couldn't send me and owl? Couldn't leave a note?"

"I did leave a note," she said, grabbing the piece of parchment she'd left on the coffee table. "'Percy, going out with Ron tonight, will be back around eleven.' And it's only ten-fifty."

"Well who says I'd look on the coffee table?" he asked, sounding frustrated. Giving Percy a glare, she quickly walked to the kitchen, pulling another piece of parchment from the fridge, quoting the exact same message she'd left in the living room.

"One in the kitchen, too," she said, handing him the other parchment.

"Well, I- uh-" Percy said. Giving a loud, exasperated groan, he stormed to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Ron asked, staring at Percy's door.

"I've no idea," Hermione said, shaking her head.

After a moment of waiting to see if Percy would come out, Ron spoke again. "I think I'd better get home. I'll see you later, Mione."

"Okay, thanks for dinner, Ron," she said, stretching up to give Ron a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Hermione," he replied, Disapparating. With one last glance at Percy's door, Hermione walked to her bedroom, quickly washing off her makeup and changing into her pajamas, sneering at the shirt when it stretched tightly over her belly. Exchanging it for a large tee shirt, she headed back into the living room.

She stood outside Percy's door for a moment, wondering what she should do. Should she talk to him? Wait for the next morning? Suddenly, without even thinking, she lifted her hand to the door and knocked softly.

"Come in," Percy called softly. Hermione slowly opened the door, nervously peeking in. Percy was sitting on his bed with his elbows on his knees, his chin propped up on his hands.

"Hi," Hermione said timidly, sitting down beside him.

"Hi," he said, looking at the floor. He was clad in only a pair of pajama pants, his broad chest uncovered. "So, did you have fun tonight?"

Hermione scrunched her nose at Percy's hurt voice. "I'm sorry you were worried," she said, reaching out to place a hand on his back; she hesitated at the last moment and pulled it back.

"It's alright," he said, shrugging. "I just had no idea where you were. You have no idea the number of things that can go through a guy's head in a couple of hours."

"Well, I am a big girl. I can take care of myself," Hermione told him softly.

"I was just so worried about you," Percy said. His face reddened slightly and he quickly added to his statement. "You _and_ the baby."

"We're both fine," she said, taking his hand and placing it against her belly, where the baby kicked softly. "See?"

Percy quickly pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry for being angry, Hermione," he whispered in her ear, his voice full of strange emotions Hermione couldn't decipher. Her cheeks colored as she felt Percy's warm, soft skin against her hands, his broad muscles feeling quite firm.

"I- it's alright," she breathed, trying to ignore the feelings swimming through her head as Percy slowly stroked her hair.

Percy pulled back a few moments later, smiling sadly at her. "You should probably get some sleep, then," he said, gently grasping her hand.

"Uh, yeah," Hermione said, standing up; she walked quickly to the door. "I'll, um, see you in the morning, then."

"Night, Hermione," Percy said, the sad smile still on his face. Hermione simply nodded as she exited Percy's room, closing the door firmly behind her. Hurrying along to her room, she collapsed on the bed, sighing.

Rubbing her eyes, Hermione spoke quietly to the room. "I hate myself sometimes."

******

(A/N- yet again, another chapter that I decided to change before I posted it. Originally, this chapter was about two Word pages shorter, and it stopped just after Percy stormed into his bedroom. I decided to make it longer, as I couldn't work out how they'd apologize another time, though.

If you couldn't tell what Hermione meant by "I hate myself sometimes," you'll find out later, maybe next chapter. If you did, then you get a nice, big, pat on the back. Also, if you don't remember where Percy got those muscles, it is from the Quidditch he's been playing with his brothers.

Okay to the reviewers:

Pamela and Jade Potter- ooh, thank you! I know it was short, but it had to stay!

sanguinans- It is pretty cute, huh? Well, love is coming… later.

My no-name reviewer- thank you!

Loran- alright, this goes for all your reviews: thanks a bunch! And if you want the elusive 150th spot, you'll have to hurry!

summerthyme- I almost spit out my water when I read your review! So funny; yeah, bop him in the nose, baby! See, I ended this one kinda angsty-like! I know, angst bad(!), but it has to come in some time.

Rebecca Anne- woo hoo! I've made a new Percy/Hermione fan! I love turning people on to new ships, it's always great!

Thalia- yeah she does!

Taryn- was that soon enough for you?

Skye Rocket- aww, thanks!

HPFFG- hmm, what do YOU think? I'm not thinking it's the hormones…

ferretgirl101- you'll see when she goes into labor soon enough. I have a really great idea planned for it…

drama queen- did you like the fluff ending there? I thought it was better.

FairLady- aww shucks! Wait, that sounded very Texan of me… better not say that again! Thank you, though!

Jade Straight- hmm, I didn't know that about the kicking. I've never been pregnant, nor do I plan it any time soon! I don't even have a boyfriend!

Laureen 'The Edge' Lycan- is it really on your faves? Thank you!

Sneezy Mouse- woo hoo! I'm on your faves list!

My other no-name reviewer- they will, they will! Be patient! Alright, well, I can't even be too patient with this one…

gohansfollower- oh, you're going to write one as well? That's great! I feel so awkward, being the only person who's Percy/Hermione fic has done anything in so long!

springroll27- wow, five stars and two thumbs? I'm lucky :) 

~AC~- don't worry, I will!

Shaman Flamingo- yeah, Punky Percy sounds kinda cool to me too… well, I can dream, can't I? Maybe a Fred and George trick in another story! And, thanks for both reviews! And don't worry, I wasn't expecting much when I started writing it!

Vanilla Star- was it soon enough for you?

Kazza- yeah, it cures my bored-ness too, as I just write and BAM, there go four hours!

Harry Potter- oh, thank you! Glad you've liked it, and there will be a bit more romance later on.

Jessie Slone- there's a reason it's all Hermione, although I won't reveal it at this time, in case things don't work out the way I planned them. And wouldn't it be great if JK did do a bit of Percy/Hermione stuff? I guess she'd be too busy for that, though… * grumble *

And until next time, I hope you're well! And don't forget: "Let's do the Time Warp again!" Sorry, just watched Rocky Horror Picture Show, had to put that in! Love ya!)


	12. Old Acquaintances, Shopping, and Names

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own it. I own the plot and my homemade characters, but there are so many plot holes where they are involved to even consider them fictional people!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 12: Old Acquaintances, Shopping, and Names

A visit to see Ameila a week after the date with Ron told Hermione that the baby was still fine. Although Ameila had offered to use the proper spells to detect the child's gender, Hermione and Percy had decided against it. They didn't want to know just yet.

Quickly gathering her purse and her winter cloak, Hermione locked the door to her office. She was meeting Percy at the Leaky Cauldron when he got off work, and they were going to go baby shopping.

"I'll see you later, Chelsea," Hermione said as she tightly fastened her cloak to protect her against the now-cold winds blowing outside. "I'm going baby shopping tonight."

"Oh, really?" Chelsea asked happily. "Um, where is Percy at?"

"We're meeting at the pub," she told her secretary, smiling.

"Hermione?" Chelsea asked carefully. "I know this will sound strange, but, um, would it be okay with you if I asked Percy out sometime?" Even after learning about the whole story, with Percy being the father of Hermione's baby, Chelsea still hadn't gotten over her attraction to him.

The question took Hermione by surprise. Even though she knew her secretary _liked_ Percy, she didn't think Chelsea would have wanted to ask him out. "I- uh, well…" Hermione said, biting the inside of her lip. She didn't really like the idea of Percy going out with her notoriously wild secretary.

"You know," the other woman said quickly, "I won't ask him if you've got any problems with it. With him being the father of your baby and all. But, I mean, you have said that there is nothing going on with the two of you, and I rather like him."

Finally, forcing a fake smile onto her face, Hermione replied. "No, I guess I don't mind," she said with false cheeriness. "I've got to go, now."

"I'll see you later, then," Chelsea replied happily, a big grin plastered on her face. Hurrying out of the office, Hermione took off towards the Leaky Cauldron, muttering under her breath about loose secretaries.

Arriving quickly at the pub, Hermione hung her cloak on the coat rack and sat down at the bar. "Hermione, how are you?" Tom asked, smiling warmly. When she had first placed the order for the peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, Tom had had his suspicions that Hermione was pregnant. He had been quite happy when he'd been proven right.

"I'm doing good, Tom," she replied, rubbing her hands together.

"And how's the baby?" he asked, nodding towards her belly.

"It's doing fine," Hermione told him with a grin, softly patting her stomach. "Could I get a cup of coffee? Decaffeinated?"

"That'll be right up," the barkeep said pleasantly. As promised, the drink was out momentarily. Hermione sat down and slowly sipped from her mug, waiting for Percy to arrive. He said he'd have to work at bit late, but that he'd be there as soon as possible.

Five-ten rolled around, quickly followed by five-fifteen, which was then succeeded by five-thirty, all with no sign of Percy. The mug had long been drained, and Hermione's overactive bladder was still in effect.

"Tom," she said, catching his attention, "If Percy Weasley comes in, will you tell him I'll be right back?"

"Sure thing," he said, nodding. Hermione quickly rushed off to the bathroom, hurrying the trip as much as possible. As she scanned the bar while she headed back to her seat, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," she said politely, cringing as she saw the face of the person she'd literally run into.

"Well, well, Hermione Granger, fancy meeting you here."

"Hello, Jeremy," she said courteously, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said silkily, staring at her waist. "Did you just go on some kind of a binge after we broke up or something?"

"No, you twit, I'm pregnant," she said, her anger rising.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "We may have broken up, but I would've taken some responsibility for _that_." As he spoke, he gestured to Hermione's belly.

Her anger now hitting an almost unmanageable point, Hermione scowled. "What, you think I couldn't have gotten over you? That there's no chance some other bloke knocked me up?"

"Well, you never did deal well with getting over things," Jeremy told her, crossing his arms over his chest. He was taking a cheap shot, reminding her of the promotion she'd been promised whilst they'd been dating. Hermione had taken it rather hard when they'd given it to someone else at the last minute, and it _had _taken her quite a while to deal with it's loss.

"Listen, Jeremy, this baby isn't yours, so why don't you just leave me alone?"

"If it's not mine, who's is it?" he asked. Hearing the bell on the front door of the pub ring, Hermione quickly turned around, seeing a familiar head of red hair enter.

"His," she said simply, smirking. She waved to Percy, who quickly walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late, I couldn't get away from work," he said, not noticing that Hermione's ex-boyfriend was standing there.

"Jeremy, you remember Percy Weasley, don't you?" she asked, quickly taking Percy's hand in her own. Percy did a double take at the mention of Jeremy.

"Oh, yes, how do you do, Percy?" he asked dryly.

"Just fine," Percy said, taken aback at the rudeness Jeremy displayed.

"Yes, we're just about to go _baby shopping_," she said pointedly, squeezing Percy's hand tighter. A death glare was present on her face.

Quickly getting the hint, Percy wrapped his free arm around Hermione's shoulder. "Yes, we must be getting to that."

"Pleasure seeing you again, Jeremy," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"Uh, you too," Jeremy replied, a shocked expression on his face. Hermione quickly walked to the counter while Percy gathered her cloak and purse. Giving Tom a few Knuts to cover the coffee and a tip, she let Percy help her into her cloak, being sure they were within Jeremy's line of view.

As they walked into the chilly air, Hermione sighed heavily. "What was up with him?" Percy asked. "He was being rather rude, if you ask me."

"Oh, he just can't believe that I could have gotten over him. He is such a jerk. Lucky you showed up when you did," she told him, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," Percy said sheepishly, his cheeks turning red with more than the cold. "Dad couldn't let me leave. We had some problems."

"Oh, don't worry," Hermione said nonchalantly. She had been a bit peeved with Percy at first, but Jeremy had always been able to make sure her anger was directed at him.

"So, you said you wanted to go to that store you and Ginny found, then?"

"Yeah," she replied, nodding. Hermione and Percy quickly Apparated to Hogsmeade, in front of 'The Baby Stop.' Stepping inside, Percy was immediately mesmerized.

"Woah," he said quietly, looking around at all of the tiny clothes and accessories. "Um, what did we need to get, again?"

Pulling a slip of parchment from her purse, Hermione quickly scanned the scribbled list. "We need a highchair, a crib, a changing tray, disposable nappies, a mobile-"

"Didn't Ron already get us one of those?" Percy asked, turning to Hermione.

"I will _not _have my child lying underneath that hideous orange thing. Chudley Cannons… with people chasing after Bludgers and such! It's violent!"

"You know," he said timidly, "They don't actually chase the _Bludgers_." Hermione simply scowled at him and set off to examine several white and pink mobiles that had no Quidditch paraphernalia.

"And," Hermione continued, "We need powder and lotion, a towel set… well, lets just look around for a bit."

An hour later, Percy looked about ready to drop. He was carrying several boxes and bags that Hermione had decided were absolutely necessary, even though she didn't even know what several of them were for.

"Hermione, what does this thing even do?" Percy asked bewilderedly, holding up a box with a picture of a complicated looking mechanism on the front.

"Oh, honestly," she replied exasperatedly, "It's a… a… oh, do you men know nothing about babies?!" Shaking her head in frustration, Hermione walked over to the next aisle.

"I'm just saying," he said, adjusting the packages in his arms, "Is that maybe we should cut back a little today. I mean, we saved up, sure, but I don't know exactly how much we'll be able to afford."

Quickly looking at the things Percy was carrying, Hermione realized he was right. Sighing, she nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Sadly, she assessed the required items, placing the others back in their proper locations.

"Don't worry, Mione," Percy said soothingly, patting her back. "I mean, Christmas is coming up. I'm sure everyone's going to want to buy us things for the baby."

"Yeah," Hermione said as she stared at the unknown item Percy had questioned her about. Finally gathering only the necessities, they approached the cashier. Percy sighed happily as he set the heavy items down on the counter.

"Um," the young cashier said, "You do know we have carts, don't you?" She quickly motioned towards a queue of buggies lined against a wall. Percy glared darkly at them as he massaged his sore arms.

"So, did you find everything okay?" the woman asked Hermione.

"Yeah," Hermione told her, looking wistfully towards the shelves and the items she'd left behind. Before they left, Hermione and Percy had paid one hundred forty-two Galleons, fourteen Sickles, and three Knuts. (A/N- okay, does anyone know the exchange rate on the money? I'm not too sure how that would work to American equivalency.)

Hermione and Percy used the special Apparition bags the store provided, arriving home with all of their purchases intact. "Well, that was certainly a strange journey," Percy said, shaking his head.

"Yes, and we aren't nearly done," Hermione told him as they walked to the nursery, settling the bags in the closet. They had removed the office furniture, and it was now just a bare room. Quickly looking around, Hermione turned to Percy. "When are we going to decorate in here?"

"Decorate?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What, hadn't you thought of that?" she questioned teasingly. "Seriously, we need to get it done. We can't just have a bare room for a _baby_. Now, what color should we do it in?"

Percy bit his lip. "Um, green?" he asked tentatively.

"No, not _green_," Hermione told him with heavy emphasis on green. "My child won't live in Slytherin colors. Now, how about pink?"

Percy shook his head vehemently. "No pink! Even if it is a girl, I won't have my child living in a _pink_ room."

"Fine!" she replied snappily. "What color would you have, then?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said, slowly turning in circles. Hermione watched as he caught sight of the blanket Parvati had made. "What about yellow?"

Looking at the walls, Hermione nodded. "Yeah… yellow. I like it."

******

Despite her best efforts, Hermione couldn't recruit anyone to help decorate the nursery. She and Percy had decided to do it all in one weekend, the upcoming one, and everyone had plans. They had spent much of their free time researching Painting and Coloring Charms.

Friday afternoon, Hermione had changed into some loose fitting clothing (a challenge in her case) and held her wand ready as she and Percy marched into the soon-to-be nursery. They had worked long into the evening, managing to get one and a half of the walls painted.

Saturday morning, they both woke early and were back at work. Just after they had restarted after lunch, a thought came to Hermione. "Percy?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Hmm?" he asked, wiping his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

"You know what we haven't discussed yet?"

"What?" he questioned as he carefully aimed his wand at the wall, a spurt of paint coming forth and spreading evenly over the surface.

"Baby names," Hermione told him.

Percy stopped and looked at her strangely. "We haven't, have we?"

"Nope," she replied.

"Well, what about… John for a boy, and Terri for a girl?"

Hermione grimaced. "Ugh, no! No way!"

"Why not?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They just don't sound right. I mean, John Granger-Weasley? No thank you."

"Um, how about Carrie?" he suggested.

"And have a homicidal prom queen? No!" Hermione said firmly.

"Homicidal prom queen?" he asked, eyeing Hermione as if she had just turned into a giant chicken.

"It's from a Muggle novel," she said, waving him off. "How about Marshall?"

"Marshall?" Percy asked, snorting. "I think not."

"Okay… Serena," Hermione said, placing her hands on her hips. Percy shook his head.

"Um," he said, biting his lip, "Taran?" Hermione made a noise like a buzzer. She and Percy went back to painting, shooting off random names.

After forty minutes, they were still at it. "Oh!" Percy said excitedly, "I've got it! How about Thomas?"

Hermione smiled. "I think I could live with Thomas. What do you think of Sharon?" Percy shook his head slowly. Hermione kept spouting off with female names for five minutes. "Okay, then, Nicole."

"Nicole?" Percy asked, cocking his head to the side. A small smile hit his face. "Yeah, I like it."

"So we're decided then?" Hermione said. "Thomas for a boy, Nicole for a girl?"

Percy nodded. "For now, anyway. Who knows, we might want to change it when the baby's born."

"Alright, then," she said, holding out her hand; Percy quickly shook it.

******

(A/N- What did you all think of Jeremy? He is a supreme jerk, as you can tell. I mean, really, he's just an idiot!

On the name, I might change it when the baby is born, but who knows? I might also know the gender, but I don't think I'll tell. Even then, I sometimes surprise myself!

For those lovely people I like to call… reviewers:

Faith McKay- aww, thanks! Isn't it a great pairing?

Lady of Werewolves- thank you mucho! It was pretty sweet, huh?

Loran- I swear I'm working on our story! I swear on Tom Felton's beautiful face!

Skye Rocket- I live in Texas. I won't say where EXACTLY, but the restaurant I said is just north of Houston, in the Woodlands. Great food! Anyway, thank you!

Taryn- that wasn't soon enough, either, was it? Sorry, I WAS going to update a couple nights ago, give everyone a treat you know, but my mom's been in the hospital, and I've had to be up there with her.

Lady Malfoy II- Yes, gotta love the cute chapters!

Clare- hey, you aren't old! My mom's 47, and my dad 49… okay, well, that doesn't give me room to say, as I'm fifteen, but still, I don't think you're old! Hermione was surprised with Percy because of all of the jerks she'd been out with in the past (like the evil Jeremy). Thanks for all three reviews, by the way! And yes, I think you're right, that is how to take care of depression (although whacking people with a large pillow always helps…) And BTW, I generally update about every six days… just so you know!

Jade Straight- okay, I thought I'd said it in here, about why she hates herself sometimes, but I didn't. You'll see it soon! Although you did get a hint early on in the chapter…

summerthyme- I know, _topless_ Percy! * shudder, drool * Umm… anyway… yeah, I hoped everyone would think Jacob was funny. And it's not so much that Mione thinks her career would be interrupted, but rather that she just doesn't _want _to fall in love with him… well, it's complicated, but things sometimes happen like that!

keeperfan726- yes, that is EXACTLY how I see Percy! Very, very sexy… okay, so I like a guy with a brain… and six-pack abs don't hurt!

Kazza- later! I promise, she'll realize it, although maybe not in so many words!

Laureen 'The Edge' Lycan- oh no, not just _your _favorite Weasley, he's mine too! Well, in addition to George… and Charlie… and Bill… and Fred… and Ron… okay, so maybe I just love ALL the Weasley boys, but still! When I sit down to write CoAaD, Percy becomes my favorite! And yep, she's majorly crushing!

Rebecca Anne- yeah, I think Ron and Hermione will be even better friends (cannon) when they work out the whole 'crush' thing. And you can update the Writer's Guild with this chapter too! And, also, would you mind if I told people about your site? You know, telling them to post their fics there?

Elena Guidry- thank you very much!

springroll27- aww, thanks so much!

Sneezy Mouse- I know, I know! I mean, I keep telling them "Hermione, Percy, hurry it up!" but they don't seem to listen! Okay, well, maybe I should just tell my fingers to write it faster…

gohansfollower- hey, take your time! Don't worry about getting it out too fast! I'm sure it will be great, and taking a little more time will only make it more so!

janie- yes, I am mean! But there will be a little bit to satisfy your (and everyone else's) insatiable Herm/Percy appetites in a future chapter. I'll say no more!

Painted Dragon- it is a great restaurant, huh? Thank you very much, btw!

Vanillastar- thank you, I'll try to keep it good! Well, I don't think it's too good, but since everyone seems to like it…

Witchy-grrl- unconventional couples are the best! Glad you've gotten hooked!

dracos-baby-gurl- aww, thanks! * blush *

PhoenixMember15- hmm, what is this 'yob' of which you speak of? A British term? Must ask Loran… thank you, by the way!

Well, there's chapter twelve. Please review if you guys don't mind. They fuel me to write faster * hint, hint *! See ya later!


	13. Why Secretaries are Evil

Disclaimer- JK Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. The characters are her intellectual property, and most of the monetary profits go to Warner Brothers. After all, who doesn't love a sellout? (I am JUST KIDDING!!! I LOVE JK Rowling! That one comes from my sister, who was being bitter and resentful!)

Early A/N- if you are reading this, please take note that you should THOROUGLY read the A/N at the bottom of the page when you are done with this chapter. It will help a lot!

DEDICATION- This chapter is dedicated to Kori Bischoff, who was my 200th reviewer! YAY!! *FIREWORKS*THEME MUSIC*NOISE MAKERS*

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 13: Why Secretaries are Evil

"That's the one," Ginny said reverently. She, Hermione, and Molly were in the kitchen at the Burrow, discussing wedding plans. There were various bridal magazines scattered around the room, and the day's objective was to find Ginny a gown. She had decided, just a few days after the selection of the bridesmaid dresses, to wear a Muggle gown.

After searching for hours and hours, looking through many stores and magazines, Ginny had finally found _the _dress. It was a white, floor length satin gown with a full skirt. The top was a tight-fitting sleeveless bodice, quite plain, but innately beautiful.

"It's gorgeous," Hermione said, sighing wistfully.

"That dress will be perfect on you, love," Molly said, reaching across the table and grasping Ginny's hand.

"It's gorgeous!" Ginny told them happily. "I can't believe I'm going to get married in the perfect dress. Though I wonder what Harry will think of it."

"You'll have to ask him tonight," Molly said.

"No!" Hermione interjected, "Harry can't see the dress!"

"Why?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Hermione said with a shrug, "It's a Muggle tradition that the groom doesn't see the dress until the ceremony. Since you _are_ wearing a Muggle gown, I think you should carry through with it."

"Those Muggles sure have some strange traditions," Molly commented, still looking admiringly at the model turning around in the catalogue.

"Well, strange as it sounds, I kind of like the idea," Ginny said thoughtfully.

"You really are going to look beautiful, Ginny," Hermione said sincerely.

"So will you," Ginny reminded, "Those dresses for the bridesmaids are gorgeous, too."

Hermione snorted. "Please, I won't even have lost all of the baby weight by the wedding! You're going to have to stuff me into my dress."

"Don't worry, Hermione, there are six months between your due date and the ceremony," Molly said reassuringly. Hermione was still worried. Even with six months, she knew it would be hard work to lose the weight with a baby to care for. And if she could ever fit into her regular clothes again, there was still the issue of stretch marks! Hermione wasn't a vain person, but at twenty-three years old, it was a sad thing to think that she'd never have her body back exactly. (A/N- yes, twenty-three! She did have to have a birthday sometime, although I didn't write about it as it had nothing to do with the plot line!)

Hermione sighed sadly, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Believe me, its not as hard as it seems. Running after a baby is plenty of exercise," Molly told Hermione with a nostalgic smile.

"See, I'm worried about that part," Hermione informed her, biting her lip. "I mean, I've never done this before. I only babysat three times while I was younger, and I had no brothers or sisters."

"Well Mione," Ginny said, grinning, "You seem to forget how many babysitters you have! An entire family of us."

"Yes, another thing I'm worried about: with all of you wanting to see my baby, I'll never get any time with it!" The three women laughed, barely hearing the person who walked through the door.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Oh, nothing," Ginny said, suddenly back to business- wedding business. "I found the dress," she told him, grabbing the magazine from the table and showing it to her brother.

"Wow, Ginny, its beautiful," he commented as he sat down. "Did you show Harry, yet?"

"We're not going to," Ginny informed him, "We're going to go by that Muggle tradition."

Ron shrugged as he reached for a cookie on the plate that sat in the midst of the bridal magazines. "By the way, Mione, Draco loved your idea."

"What idea?" Molly asked.

"Our vacation for our anniversary," Ron said, "We couldn't decide, and then Mione suggested Greece, and we both absolutely loved it."

"Well I'm glad," Hermione said, "When are you leaving?"

Ron frowned, not meeting Hermione's eyes. "Now, Mione, you probably won't like this, but… February seventeenth."

Hermione shot Ron a puzzled look, an eyebrow almost meeting her hairline. "What's so bad about that?"

"Well, it's only a week after your due date," Ron told her sheepishly. "Me and Draco both wanted to be here for a while after the baby came, but it was the only time we could both get off work for two months to come."

Hermione chuckled. "Ron, that's fine with me. Honestly, its not like _you _are the father or anything!"

"Are you sure you're fine with it?" Ron asked tentatively. Hermione reached over the table and grasped his hand.

"Its fine," she told him with a grin.

"Well, glad we've got that sorted," Ginny said, "But back to the dress, if you will!"

******

Checking the clock for the fifth time in an hour, Hermione was glad to see she only had ten minutes before she could go home. The day had been long and tiring. Even though her job could be stressful, however, Hermione knew she would really miss it when she went on maternity leave two short weeks later.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Hermione called, surprised. Chelsea walked through the door, twisting her hands together. "What's up, Chelsea?"

"Um, well," Chelsea said, sounding nervous, "I was just wondering if it would be too much of a bother if I took off a bit early today. See, there is something that I kind of need to do."

"Uh, sure," Hermione said, shrugging. There were no splinters from her wand if her secretary left early.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Chelsea cried happily. With a quick smile, she turned and went and gathered her cloak and purse. "Could I go now?"

"That's fine," Hermione said, nodding. Chelsea gave a last grin before she Disapparated. Hermione sat back down at her desk and settled in for the last ten minutes, fully loading her quill in ink.

And as she signed her name to the last parchment, Hermione smiled wearily. Placing all of her paperwork in the 'out' box, Hermione quickly gathered her cloak and purse, Apparating directly into her kitchen where she started making a very large turkey sandwich.

As she was adding the tomatoes a few minutes later, she heard a soft 'pop,' meaning that Percy had arrived home. He came walking into the kitchen after a moment, smiling nervously at Hermione as he sat down.

When he continued smiling for several moments, Hermione began to feel apprehensive. "What?" she asked defensively.

"Um, nothing…" Percy replied noncommittally. "How was your day?"

"Long," she replied as she sat down across from him.

"Oh, that's too bad," he said, still using the nervous smile.

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione asked again, frowning at his behavior.

"Nothing, nothing!" Percy said quickly, holding his hands out in front of himself in a sheltering gesture. After a moment, he looked down at the table. "Well…"

"Spit it out, Percy," she said, now a full glare adorning her face. Hermione was in no mood for games.

"Well, you see," he told her, "I was just about to leave work today, when I had someone stop by. Your secretary, Chelsea."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Okay…" she said slowly.

"Um, she kinda sorta asked me if maybe, uh, I'd like to go out sometime," he finished. Hermione's jaw dropped very slightly. If she'd known that's what that tart had wanted to leave work for, she'd never have agreed to it.

"And what did you say?" Hermione asked, once again speaking slowly.

"Um, well…" Percy replied in a stalling manner. At Hermione's glare, he began to speak normally. "I, um, kinda told her that I would… but if you don't want me to, I'll tell her tomorrow morning that something came up."

Hermione blinked rapidly. It wasn't so much that it was a rejection from Percy, as she'd never even presented herself, but it still hurt. The man she'd been falling for over the past four months, the father of her _baby,_ had just informed her that he would be going out with her secretary. Not exactly a shoot down, but it wasn't a great ego booster, either.

Hermione shook her head once, looking down at the table. "No, that's fine," she said, blinking back the tears in her eyes.

"Really, you're sure?" Percy asked uncertainly. Putting on her most charming smile, Hermione looked up.

"Really, its fine with me," she said, letting out a small laugh. Percy shot her a grin in return.

"You know, that's great, Mione. I'm glad you're okay with it," he said, softly taking her hand in his.

Still using the forced smile, Hermione squeezed Percy's hand in return. "Percy, I have one question, though."

"What is it?" he asked pleasantly.

"Well, why Chelsea? If you don't mind me asking."

Percy looked thoughtful for a moment. "I dunno, really. I mean, she seems nice, and she's pretty. And you know, it has been nearly a year since I've dated anyone. I just figured it would be fun to get out there again, try to forget about a few relationship problems I've had."

Hermione nodded slightly. "That sounds reasonable." Despite her calm demeanor, she was still on the verge of tears. Releasing Percy's hand, she stood up. "I think I'll go have a bath, okay?"

"Don't you want your sandwich?" Percy asked.

Giving him one last, fake smile, Hermione shook her head. "Not anymore."

******

(A/N- ooh, I put in some angst! As for the title of the chapter, don't any secretaries yell at me! I happen to like secretaries, but Hermione currently wishes hers would cease to be! That is the only reason I named it that!

The whole 'No splinters from her wand' thing I came up with out of nowhere, so don't ask. Kinda like 'No skin off my nose.'

Also, before anyone starts flaming about Percy and his going out with the secretary, the reasons for that will be revealed later. NO YELLING AT GWEN! Really, it's rather important to a scene coming up. And please don't start telling me how 'It seemed like Percy had feelings for Mione, so why did he agree to date the secretary?' Like I said, that will be revealed later!

And to everyone who had something to say about the names, _I'd _just like to say that this is my story, and I enjoy the names. Nicole and Thomas happen to have very special meaning to me, which I won't go into now, but nonetheless, that is why I chose them.

****

Here is a nice little plug: Rebecca Anne, great reviewer of CoAaD, has this really cool website, the Harry Potter Writer's Guild. For all of you writers, go to her site and post your stuff! Here's the address: http://bec917.com/harry Go there, everyone!

As always, here are the thanks to the reviewers:

Taryn- oh, thanks very much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Allison Lane- ooh, great! I love it when Percy/Penelope shippers read this! Get a different POV on the relationship, you know. Thank you very much!

Thalia- don't worry, all my evilness has a purpose in the end. And I _do _believe that you'll enjoy that purpose…

SilverMoon- keep asking, and here is the answer you shall receive: eventually. I mean, its quite obvious to _everyone _now that they will get together, but not quite yet. 

sanguinans- yep, I'm fifteen (with no idea about all this pregnancy bull!) And thank you very much!

PhoenixRae- did you enjoy that one? I know, I'm evil. Darth Gwen! Hehehe… Sorry, Star Wars Geek Gwen took over for a moment. But believe me, it will be worth it in time (the evil, not the Star Wars, as it has nothing to do with the story) And thanks for all the reviews!

Loran- *sigh* You got to see Tom… again. You're lucky. I envy that!

Clare- let's see, at this chapter Herm is… about six and a half months. And I know it seems a bit unlikely that the Ministry would kick her out two months before the two date, but I think that they offer a long maternity leave for some reason. And on the Percy thing, we might see some of that later, in an idea I had… well, I won't say anymore, as that would give away all surprises. And I _think _that I'll be able to email you about the update, but with my evil ISP, who knows?

Skye Rocket- yeah, could be. I mean, it is a good restaurant. And, like I told reviewer Allison Lane, I do love to get other Percy shippers to read this. Not to convert or anything, but so I can hear their point of view.

Megzzie- aww, thanks! Sorry if this didn't help with the bad days…

gohansfollower- yeah, best not to rush important things, like fanfics. Heehee! Anyway, thanks mucho!

ferretgirl101- Did you really? I can't wait till I can have that discussion with the man I'll marry (in another ten years or so… my sister still yells at me about talking to boys!)

FairLady- wow, you want to write like me? Hmm, I _must _be better than I think… anyway, thank you very much!

Rebecca Anne- thank you! Glad to see _someone _liked my names!

keeperfan726- Jeremy is a jerk! Yay! Mione should start the 'I Hate Jeremy' Club! Ewie guys are the worst!

Jade Straight- thanks for the sites, I'm going to check them out, but like I said, Nicole and Thomas have special meaning for me. And that's kind of why she hates herself, but its more that she's been falling for him, and that line of things… well, it's just a mix of most everything.

flutegirl- thank you very much!

Elena Guidry- I'll try to check your story out soon! Yeah, I think she'd kill him if he was all 'sportsy'. Heck, I would!

Lady of Werewolves- heehee, glad you hated him! I do too!

HPFFG- naw, I'd never put my own name in there, except as maybe an animal… oh, wait, I already did that!

kazza- oh, no we saw the last of that jerk! I wouldn't do that, it would mess up the ending for everyone!

dracos-baby-gurl- hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for this chapter! Thanks a lot!

Aglaia- yeah, I know it's a lot of money (I figured it worked out to roughly around that much), but baby stuff is darn expensive! I priced with my oldest sister this weekend (she and her husband are going to start trying for a baby soon), and if you buy everything you need, it gets pretty hefty! Remember, they have been saving, and _my _Ministry of Magic pays quite well!

Sneezy Mouse- ack! NOOOOO!! Don't sneeze on me! Hehehe… sorry, but it'll have to happen. You know I'm evil (mwahaha!)

Robyn- sure I missed you and your wonderful reviews! And on the Mione thing: I have this really cute scene written in my head, where Ron and Harry call Hermione 'Mione', and it ticks her off. But they keep at it, and eventually, it sticks. That's why _I _call her Mione.

Kori Bischoff- I know they do! I mean, I'm just plain evil! It's that evil villainy side taking over! I'm drinking that Hatorade!

Yukito Forever- more Jeremy hating! Yay! Thanks very much, BTW.

Melissa- yeah, Chelsea's pretty evil and mean, isn't she? She needs to just back off of Mione's man!

Harry Potter- thanks for the fuel! I could always use some more (hint, hint). Sorry bout Perce and Chelsea, but it did have to be done!

summerthyme- well, there is still some confusion with me if it'll be a boy or girl, but note this: it will _not_ be surprise twins! Those have been done so much, and I don't consider myself good enough of a writer to pull it off (silverphoenix can do it, and make it work with every pairing but not me). And yellow was the color I had as a baby! I still have my blanket, packed away in a drawer somewhere…

And, until next time, please don't flame about Percy in this chapter. And big news to anyone who cares about the great saga, Star Wars. I just got Episode II on DVD last night at midnight, and it's even better than I remember it! I just happened to be the first to purchase it at my friendly, local Hastings!)


	14. Friendly Advice Just Doesn't Help

Disclaimer- Okay, I'm sick of these! If you want to know my current status on the owning of Harry Potter, go back a chapter… okay, fine, I don't own it! Happy?

Early A/N- woo hoo! CoS is in theaters! I've seen it twice now, and it was even better the second time… and after the Renaissance Festival yesterday (the Scottish Games, to be precise), I've decided that Sean Biggerstaff is pretty sexy! Don't worry, Sean fans, I won't steal him away, I'm just going to look!

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 14: Friendly Advice Just Doesn't Help

Percy had agreed to go out with Chelsea on that Friday night, and Hermione was absolutely miserable. Even though Percy rarely mentioned his date, it loomed over Hermione's head like a dark cloud of desolation, slowly gnawing her insides until they were nothing but sharp, pointy sticks of depression.

The only members of the Weasley family that seemed to be against the date were Molly and Arthur, who stayed still in their position that Percy marry Hermione. Hermione knew they'd still been making constant attempts to talk him into proposing. They said that they could have a small ceremony at the Ministry, and then have something larger when Hermione would feel comfortable walking down the aisle. While Hermione knew she wouldn't want to _marry_ Percy, it wouldn't have hurt if he'd shown that he'd had any feelings for her.

Hermione sat in her favorite chair by the fire Friday night, a book on her lap. She had unsuccessfully tried to read the first page for twenty minutes before she gave in and resolved to stare at the crackling flames.

As a creak was heard from Percy's door, Hermione wiped the sneer from her face. A look of awe soon came over her as her roommate stepped into the living room.

Percy was wearing a black dress shirt with a silvery-gray tie, a pair of charcoal gray slacks, and a shiny pair of black shoes. He had taken a bit of time on his hair, obviously, as it looked much nicer than normal. A silver watch peeked out from underneath his left sleeve, complementing the outfit, giving Percy a suave look. He looked undoubtedly more attractive than Hermione had ever seen him.

"Well?" he asked self-consciously. "How do I look?" He did a small twirl, and Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She nearly giggled with girlish delight at the sight of him.

"Percy, you look… you look…" Percy blushed and looked down at the floor.

"That bad, huh?" he asked, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck.

Hermione shook her head vehemently. "No, Percy, you look… well, pretty handsome!"

Percy blushed again. "Handsome?" he questioned, crossing his arms in front of himself.

"Very," Hermione told him with a smile. Percy flushed an even deeper red, if it was possible, although the grin on his face told Hermione that he enjoyed the complement.

"Alright, well, I'd better go," he said, checking his watch. Hermione's features saddened as she remembered that he hadn't dressed up for her, but her _secretary_. Every time Hermione's mind had gone over the word for the past three days, it had sounded like an awful swear word.

"See you," Hermione said quickly, pretending to read her book so she could mask her tears.

"I'll be back before midnight, okay?" Percy told her. As he passed the back of her chair, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on the top of Hermione's head. "Bye, Mione." It sounded almost sad, in a way, but Hermione was sure that he just felt bad about leaving her alone.

Giving a curt nod, Hermione once again directed her attention at her pretended reading efforts. She heard Percy Apparate with a soft 'pop,' and she put her head in one hand. A hot, angry tear slid down her cheek, splashing on the page of her book.

Letting out a frustrated scream, Hermione threw her book against the opposite wall, giving a dark smile as she imagined her _secretary's_ face on the wallpaper.

Settling back and glaring at the fire, Hermione was once again drawn from her feelings of self pity as three men Apparated into the living room. "Hey, Mione, what's up?" Harry asked. The green-eyed wizard took a seat on the sofa, Ron sitting beside him, while Draco sat on the arm of her chair.

Noticing the puffiness of her cheeks, Draco tilted her face upwards with one hand. "What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked gently.

"Nothing," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away.

"Were you crying?" Ron asked. He and Harry both abandoned their seats and kneeled on the floor in front of her.

"I'm f-fine," she said, her voice breaking on the latter word.

"What's wrong, Mione?" Harry tried again, taking her hand in his.

"Its nothing!" she cried indignantly, glaring at all three men in turn. They quickly shared a look, silently deciding to not push her on the issue. "Now, what did you come bother me for?"

Ron scrunched his nose. "We came to see if you maybe wanted to go out tonight. Just the four of us."

Hermione nodded, sighing. "That sounds wonderful," she said wistfully.

"Well, come on, then," Draco said, taking her hand. "Let's go!"

"Hold on, let me get my cloak!" she said with a feeble grin. Walking over to the coat rack, she slipped on her cloak and grabbed her purse, sliding her feet into the comfortable shoes she'd recently bought. "Now, where to?"

"Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked the group; they all nodded in assent. The three men and Hermione quickly Apparated to the pub, claiming a table near the back.

"So, where's Ginny this evening?" Hermione asked, slowly sipping from her recently delivered glass of iced tea.

Harry sighed. "She _claims_ to be out preparing for the wedding, but you never can tell. Just last week she said she was going to buy milk, came back with four new robes."

"Yeah, I know _that _feeling," Ron said, a small smirk escaping his lips as he faced Draco.

"Hey, can I help it if I want to look good?" he asked defensively.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Ron added, now eyeing Draco in a very lewd manner. Sharing a look with Harry, Hermione cleared her throat.

"Maybe we can save the flirting contest for later, hmm?" she asked the two men. Both blushed and looked away from one another.

"So, anyways, what's been going on with you, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione scowled. "My stomach's gotten bigger, my ankles more swollen, and I have nobody in my life. Just peachy!"

"Hermione-" Ron began, but she cut him off.

"Meanwhile, the father of my baby is off cavorting around with my hussy of a _secretary_, I'm being forced away from work in just over a week, and I'm not even close to being ready for this baby!" she stated loudly, her tone rising with every word. The three wizards looked on in concern, none of them knowing quite what to do.

"Um, Mione, are you alright?" Harry asked, placing a hand on her arm. Sighing, Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, its just this whole dating thing," she told them, casting her glance down at the table. "I just really hadn't thought about Percy going out with anyone, is all, and it's come as a bit of a shock."

"Well, Hermione," Draco said, "Its not like you can expect the man to stay single forever. You'll both start dating a lot soon enough, and start getting on with your lives. I mean, sure, you'll have a baby, and you two will always be together in that way, but its not like either of you wants to just spend forever living together as single people."

"He's right, Mione," Ron said, "You're only twenty-three, and Percy's only twenty-six. You both have plenty of time ahead of you for your real families."

"Real families…" Hermione said softly, a large frown on her face. Suddenly feeling more depressed than before her friends had arrived, Hermione placed a hand against her belly. "Would you guys mind if I went home? I'm not feeling well all of a sudden."

Exchanging surprised looks, Harry eventually spoke. "Uh, no, I guess not. You want me to see you home?"

"No thanks," she replied sadly. "I'll see you all later, okay?" She quickly threw a few Knuts onto the table, Disapparating without another word.

Hermione kicked off her shoes and threw her cloak and purse over a chair, curling up on the couch. Draco and Ron had been right, of course. Had she ever really been dense enough to think otherwise? That Percy would want to spend the rest of his life with her, just friends? Raising a baby and growing old together, yet completely alone?

Realizing that she was an absolute idiot, Hermione felt tears stinging her eyes. It wouldn't be long before Percy found some wonderful woman and fell head over heels in love with her, deciding to move out and marry her and have more children with her. Hermione had no doubt that he'd still take responsibility for their child, but she'd have to raise it all alone, without anyone.

Suddenly, a burst of anger and defiance hit Hermione. She didn't _need_ Percy! She didn't need anyone! She had always gotten along just fine on her own, and she had no need for anyone to take care of her or pity her.

It was an absolute travesty, Hermione realized, that she had taken such a moment of despair. She quickly got up off of the couch, standing in front of the mirror against the wall. Assessing what she saw, Hermione was rather pleased. Sure, she was pregnant, and looked rather big. But that would go away after a couple of more months, and she'd be blessed with a child in its place. Her hair was a lovely shade of brown, and very soft. Her chocolate eyes were deep, and Hermione had known several men who'd gotten lost staring into them.

Her face had a lovely shape, with full lips, long eyelashes, and a nose that everyone found cute. Her legs were long and slender (usually), and once she lost the baby weight, her body would go back to looking great. Maybe not as good as before pregnancy, but still great enough to catch the attention of any wizard who walked by.

Grinning, Hermione walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, picking up her book on the way back to the couch. She was finally able to concentrate properly for the first time in three days.

Until, that is, two other people Apparated into the room. Percy appeared, Chelsea clutching his arm. All of Hermione's prior thoughts of herself were sent flying out the window as she took in her _secretary._

Chelsea was wearing a very low cut, tight, red dress, with a hemline so short that Britney Spears would have looked away from in embarrassment. A pair of six-inch stiletto heels adorned her feet, sending her up to Percy's height. Every single thing Hermione had found good about herself was quadrupled with her _secretary_.

Hermione looked down at her own body, each insecurity coming back to her. She wasn't just pregnant, she was fat. Her legs were average length and chubby. Her lips were rather thin. Her hair and eyes were plain. Nothing special at all.

"Hi, Mione, did you have a good night?" Percy asked, smiling warmly at her.

"Just fine," Hermione said slowly.

"I insisted on seeing your roommate home," Chelsea said sweetly, acting completely different from the girl Hermione knew at work.

"Oh, thank you very much," Hermione replied dryly. The _secretary_ was so busy batting her eyelashes at Percy that she didn't even notice.

"Okay, I've got to go," she said, her voice as sugary as Maple syrup, "Owl me, okay?" Chelsea leaned over to kiss Percy, but he turned his head just in time, her lips landing just on his cheek.

"Bye," he said, nodding once. Chelsea didn't seem to pick up on his eagerness for the date to be over, and neither did Hermione, who was now too busy revisiting her self-pity to notice. With a last wave and a naughty grin, Chelsea Disapparated. Percy sat down heavily on the couch, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to control her tears, Hermione shot up. "I'm going to bed, okay? Night," she said quickly, heading towards her room. Her attempt to conceal her crying didn't work, however, as she let out a loud sob just before the door was shut.

She eased herself onto her bed and allowed the tears to flow freely, her anguished cries echoing throughout the room. Hermione thought momentarily about placing a silencing spell on the room, but then she realized she didn't care anymore.

Clutching the pillow underneath her head, Hermione barely heard the knock on the door. "Hermione?" Percy called, knocking again.

Scowling, Hermione told him to come in. Percy pushed the door open a crack and approached the bed. Hermione refused to look at him, turning onto her side.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Percy asked, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Nothing…" she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Hermione, what is it?" he tried again, placing a hand on her leg comfortingly.

Sighing in a defeated manner, Hermione shook her head. "Look at me," she said quietly, her back still to Percy. "I'm huge, I haven't seen my feet in weeks, I look completely hideous. I mean, tonight, I'd actually gained a bit of confidence about myself, and then _she_ comes strolling in, looking like that!

"The only date I've been on in almost ten months has been with my involved gay best friend," Hermione said through the tears. Her heart jolted as she felt Percy lying down beside her, an arm wrapping around her. He pulled her tightly to his chest, softly rocking her as her tears slowly began to subside. Percy uttered small, comforting noises into her ear, his hand stroking her belly.

"If it helps any," he said quietly, "she's an absolute tart, and I don't plan on going out with her again." Hermione let out a small laugh. "I mean, she has absolutely no depth, her brain consists of tubes of lipstick and shoes. The _only _thing she's got going for her is her looks."

Hermione sighed. "But that's all that's going to matter. Nobody ever cares about your mind, all anyone wants is a great body. And look at me! I'm fat, I'm ugly. Even once I'm through with being pregnant, that won't change."

Hermione was about to go on when Percy placed a hand over her mouth. She turned to look at him to see fire in his eyes. His voice when he spoke was quiet, but held so much intensity and passion that Hermione thought she'd stumbled upon a new person. "Don't you _ever _say that about yourself, Hermione. You are beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have you, and any who'd turn away from you is a bloody idiot."

He slowly removed his hand from her face, but continued staring down at her with a strange look in his eyes. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but she forgot what when she saw Percy moving his face closer to hers. Her lips and eyes snapped shut just moments before Percy's own lips found Hermione's.

It was gentle, with no pressure, as they were barely even touching. Percy moved back up after only a moment, his eyes looking into hers, searching. Hermione's mind was absolutely racing. Percy had kissed her! Before she could even give it another thought, Percy lowered his face again and gently touched her lips with his own. Hermione, heart beating a mile a minute, raised a hand to touch his face, to prove to herself that what was happening was real. That she was actually kissing Percy Weasley.

Yet again, before she could think too much about it, Percy moved back. His breathing was slightly labored even though the kiss hadn't lasted long, just seconds more than the last. Shakily, Hermione raised her other hand to Percy's face, not pushing him away or pulling him closer. Her eyes searched his just as he was doing to her, and Hermione took an uneasy breath.

Slowly, she and Percy moved together again, their lips meeting with more force. Hermione moved her hands higher and threaded them through Percy's hair, pulling him closer. Percy's hands weren't idle, either. He gently cupped the back of Hermione's head, his other softly stroking the side of her neck.

Pulling back a few moments later, Hermione smiled encouragingly at Percy, urging him to kiss her again. And kiss her he did. He moved his lips slightly as they came together, deepening the kiss. Hermione could feel it all the way throughout her body and soul, Percy's gentle yet burning kiss making her feel utterly alive, more than she had in the longest time.

Percy deepened the kiss even further, and Hermione's sigh was lost in his mouth. He rolled onto his side and pulled her closer to him, neither able to get enough.

But then, just as unexpectedly as the kiss had started, it ended. Percy jerked back, his eyes wide and unbelieving. Hermione pulled her hands back down by her sides quickly, forcing her breathing and her heart to slow. Percy raised his hand to his lips, softly touching.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so, so sorry," he breathed. "I- I didn't mean to…"

Hermione quickly shook her head. "No, d-don't worry about it"

"I guess I just got caught up in the moment, or something," he said meekly, staring intently at the coverlet on Hermione's bed.

"It's fine," Hermione said softly, feeling her heart shattering. He hadn't meant it…

"I'm, uh, just going to go," Percy said, quickly standing up from the bed. He walked uneasily to the door, giving Hermione a nervous, apologetic smile as he closed it behind him.

Hermione turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling, feeling the tears silently rolling down her cheeks. What had that been about? Percy had told her that she was beautiful, that she was wonderful, and then he'd kissed her! The most passionate, fiery, wonderful kisses she'd ever had. And Hermione, stupid as she was, had kissed back. And when she'd started to have the slightest inkling that he might feel the same about her that she did about him, he'd gone and left, completely crushing her. Sighing, Hermione let the tears flow freely.

******

(A/N- THERE!!! For everyone who has been bugging me this whole time for some Percy/Herm action, THERE IT IS! Yeah, I know, another kinda angsty chapter, but at least they kissed. Tee hee…

There a still several chapters to go, I think about seven. And I'm sorry, but I might skip Christmas and just give you a little explanation of what happened... or not do it at all! Baby Granger-Weasley is on its way soon, and it'd like to get to that without putting in an extra filler chapter that will have nothing to do with the plot.

Okay, so, here's for my nice, lovely reviewers: 

sanguinans- aww, thank you! I like being told I'm older, especially by the experienced fifteen year olds like myself!

Kazza- good idea… Percy's playing at lots of weird stuff, stuff that even I don't know of yet… okay, so I do!

Rebecca Anne- thanks so much! Glad you liked it!

Loran- gaaaaah! Indeed! Chelsea is a little tramp, and if this wasn't PG-13, there might have been a tragic hedge-clipper accident…

Allison Lane- yeah, I love suspense for my readers. It's so much fun… for me * evil grin *

Taryn- what about this one? I bet you hate me… but still, I liked it!

summerthyme- oh, ranting at Percy is fine, I'd do it if I was a reader! And your idea: possibly…

Clare- yeah, I think the baby shower should have been a bit longer, but it was just such a filler chapter… maybe as a bonus when it's over, but I don't know. Thanks for the info, and the offer!

HPFFG- I don't think I gave the month for the wedding yet, so don't worry! It's six months after Mione's due date, so the wedding is in August… um, I don't think I have the _date_ though. Ah, I'll work it out!

Skye Rocket- I cried hysterically too! Well, maybe not, but I still did kick myself a bit when I got the date idea…

Vanillastar- was it soon enough? I hope you enjoyed this chap, too!

Jade Straight- damn right, men are jerks! If I were Mione, I'd curse him, but alas, I'm not! But I do control her… alright, I won't do that, but it'd be fun! And see, Hermione did cry!

FairLady- aww, thank you! And I hope you hate Chelsea, that's what I was going for… and if you didn't before, certainly now!

Silver Dragon Princess- Alright, all chapters in one sitting! That's great! I'm glad you've liked this so far, and thanks! Yeah, Hermione is ticked off, as you could tell, but she's got more on her mind now… hehehe

gohansfollower- Percy is a bit stupid, huh? He is confused, though… I'm not saying more…

Yukito Forever- Chelsea is a slut! Woo hoo! Bad secretary (JUST CHELSEA!)

kjsparkles- yes, thank you! Glad to see that SOMEONE appreciates the non-rushing! If I'd made them fall in love right away, well… it wouldn't be as fun!

Gem Stone- thank you!

chanita- don't worry, I'm getting to it… and Buca di Beppo rocks!

PheonixRae- oh no, not all secretaries! My mom was one for a while, and she was quite nice… well to the people on the phone and that came to the desk… to her coworkers and family, well… thanks mucho!

leSOAD- don't worry, it's coming!

dracos-baby-gurl- thanks! I know, the chapters are too short, but the events can't be rushed!

Aglaia- oh, who said I didn't want to send you to the asylum? But then again, I'd loose a reviewer, so I'd better not… and yeah, my Ministry is pretty generous!

Robyn- oooooookaaaaaaaay… * backs away slowly before looking around with a grin * who was it? And I've seen it twice now (woo hoo!)! See, I had a reason! Otherwise _that _wouldn't have happened!

Harry Potter- okay, whispering's fine! I know, I'm evil! And thanks a bunch!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter (I know _I_ did)! See ya later!)


	15. Conversing

Disclaimer- nope, you know I don't own it. If I did, do you _think _Draco would be all evil? Yeah, right! He wouldn't have the time to be evil!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 15: Conversing

The next day, the atmosphere had been very charged at Hermione and Percy's flat. Not a word was spoken between the roommates, and every time they accidentally looked at one another, they would quickly look away.

Finally, when the tension had built up to an almost unbearable level, Hermione decided that she needed to get out for a couple of hours. Any more time at home with Percy would ensure that her head would explode.

Hermione quickly grabbed her cloak and headed to the living room, where Percy was currently sitting. "I'm going to go out for a little while," she said quickly. Percy's head snapped up, staring at her with a strange look.

He spoke after a moment. "Will you, uh, be back soon?"

"In a while," Hermione replied noncommittally. Percy gave her a small nod of acknowledgement, looking back down to the book in his hands. Hermione quickly Apparated to the Burrow, looking for Ginny. She had mentioned something about meeting her mother to shop for shoes for the wedding.

Appearing in the middle of the living room, she didn't find anyone. Hermione slowly made her way to the kitchen, where she found Charlie sipping a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Hermione, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Not a lot," she replied, sitting down across the table from him. She sighed, resting her head on her clasped hands.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, a questioning look on his face.

"Oh, it's nothing," Hermione told him evasively. "What are you doing home?"

Charlie smiled. "I've got the weekend off, and thought I'd come in and see everyone. But don't change the subject, what's wrong?"

Biting her lip, Hermione pondered how best to put her problem. "Well… have you ever had someone in your life that you used to feel one way about, but then you started feeling differently?"

"I can't say that I have," Charlie replied, raising his eyebrows, "How do you feel about this person?"

"Well, I used to just kind of think of him as a friend," Hermione said, "But sometime a few months ago, I just started thinking of him in a more… oh, I don't know… romantic sort of way."

"And, what's the problem? Does he not think of you like that?"

Hermione shook her head sadly. "No. "

"Well," Charlie asked, "Have you told him how you feel?"

"No, but I don't think he'd been interested in me. We've kind of talked about a romantic involvement before, but we decided against it," she replied. "But, well, I've gotten a couple of mixed signals lately."

Charlie gave Hermione a strange look. "Tell me, Mione, who exactly is this?"

"Oh, I'd rather not say," she said, color rising in her cheeks.

"Come on, Hermione, you know you can trust me," Charlie said, grinning.

Hermione sighed again. "Okay, but you can't laugh at me, or say that I'm stupid, or, well, anything, alright Charlie?"

"I would never," he said sincerely. Hermione nodded.

"It's… Percy."

"Percy?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said sadly. "I can't believe how stupid I am."

"You aren't stupid," he said firmly. "Um, exactly how romantic are these feelings, Mione?"

Closing her eyes and looking down at the table, Hermione replied. "I have fallen completely in love with your brother."

"Oh, Mione…" Charlie said, "Wow."

"I know," Hermione told him. "I don't know how I could have let myself do this."

"I guess that explains about you talking about romantic involvement," he said, "But what about the mixed signals?"

Hermione blushed again. "Well, you see, last night, I was just feeling really down, and then Percy brought home his _date_."

Charlie looked taken aback. "He brought her home?"

"Oh, not like that," she replied, "She _insisted_ on seeing him home. And I'm telling you, she looked like a complete tart. Real low cut outfit, skirt up to here." Hermione held her hand up to her armpit to indicate the length. Hermione and Charlie both laughed.

"And?" he asked.

"Well, look at me!" she said, "I'm pregnant, bloated, my hair's frizzed. I look awful!"

"Oh, you do not!" Charlie said reassuringly.

"Well, as trashy as she looked, she was gorgeous," Hermione added, ignoring Charlie's last comment. "I look nothing like that, nor have I ever. That is exactly the kind of girl that gets the guy, not a bushy-haired bookworm like me."

"Hermione, don't think of yourself like that!" he said firmly, "Now what were those mixed signals?"

Hermione blushed. Even though she and Charlie were friends, she didn't feel comfortable talking about the kisses with anyone. Biting the bullet, Hermione decided to tell him.

"Okay. So last night, my _secretary_ came in with Percy, and I just got even more depressed. I went to my room and started crying, and Percy came in. He comforted me, and when I said I thought I looked bad, he told me not to ever say those things about myself. Then, he, um, kissed me."

"He kissed you?" Charlie looked absolutely shocked. His eyebrows had mingled with his hair and his jaw had dropped clear to the table. "How?"

Scowling, Hermione let out an exasperated breath. "What do you mean, how?"

Charlie grinned at her discomfort. Hermione knew that he was trying to be sympathetic, but Charlie had always been amused when she got irritated. "Well, did he kiss you on the forehead, the cheek? Where?"

"Where do you think?" Hermione asked angrily. "The lips, dimwit!"

"And was it just like a peck or a _kiss_-kiss?"

"A _kiss_-kiss," she replied, resting her forehead against the table.

"Now, did you just press your lips together, or-" Charlie was promptly cut off.

"_Charlie_, this isn't helpful!" Hermione cried. "You know exactly what kind of kiss it was!"

"I'm sorry," Charlie said, fighting back a laugh. "Did he say anything about it? Like why he did it?"

"He just said he got caught up in the moment," she replied, "I mean, it _was _a pretty intense moment, but it just seems…"

"Seems like what?"

Hermione thought carefully, tentatively choosing her words. "It seemed… like there was something more in it than just 'getting caught in the moment.'" Charlie stared at her, a puzzled look on his face.

He spoke after a moment, his voice soft and gentle. "Well, Hermione, I can't really say what Percy was thinking when he kissed you. But I do know that if he does love you back and doesn't do anything about it, he is the most daft man I've ever known."

With that, Charlie stood up and walked to Hermione, wrapping his arms around her. Hermione rested her head against his chest and placed her own arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Charlie," she said quietly.

"Anytime, Mione. Anytime"

******

When Hermione had arrived home from the Burrow that evening, she'd done nothing more than give Percy a small nod before she escaped into her bedroom. She'd even opted to stay and have dinner with Charlie, Arthur, and Molly and Ginny (who'd gotten back from shopping just after Arthur had gotten home from work). Hermione had procrastinated for quite a long time after that, finally heading home around ten.

In the morning, things had still been as tense, and almost as bad as they'd been after their one-night-stand. Hermione had left for work almost immediately, even skipping her breakfast. She'd snapped at everyone all day, very fluently and creatively, barely restraining herself from hexing every person who'd walked into her office.

But the one person she was truly angry with, aside from herself, was the one person she refused to talk to. Hermione had no desire to speak with Percy, at least for a while.

However, even a little while wasn't to be. As Hermione had walked into the hallway of the Ministry building as she was leaving work for the day, her least favorite redhead was leaning against the wall.

"Hermione!" Percy said loudly. Hermione simply ignored him and kept walking towards the Leaky Cauldron. His continual attempts the catch her attention were completely futile.

Hermione walked into the pub, where she'd decided to go to before she'd left work as an attempt to avoid Percy for even longer. Things don't often go as you plan them. She approached the bar, still disregarding Percy. "Hi, Tom," she said.

"Hello, Hermione, what can I get for you?" he asked.

"A glass of water and a turkey sandwich please," she replied, smiling before she headed to a table at the back. Percy faithfully followed.

"Hermione," he said, tapping his foot on the floor. She knew he was getting irritated, and she hoped he would eventually get the message and go away.

Stubbornly, she began to whistle, examining her nails. Hermione heard Percy's aggravated sigh, and she turned around as he sat down beside her.

"Hermione, stop being so childish!" he ordered, grabbing her arm gently.

She turned to face him, her glare cold enough to freeze the sun. "No!" she said quietly, defiantly. With that, she turned back around, yanking her arm out of Percy's grasp.

"Why are you so mad at me?" he asked. Hermione didn't answer him. All of a sudden, he laughed. "Hermione, is this all because I kissed you?" She still refused to answer. "Mione, are you still upset about that?"

"Is everything okay over here?" Tom asked as he approached with Hermione's water and sandwich.

"Yes, Tom, thank you," Hermione replied.

"Let me know if you need anything else," he said, glancing at Percy with a look that told Hermione he'd throw him out if she wanted it.

"Alright," she replied with a small smile.

When Tom had walked away, Percy tried again. "Hermione, is that what it is? Like I said, I'm really, really sorry about that."

Finally, her temper getting the better of her, Hermione answered. "Did you stop to think that maybe I wanted you to kiss me?!" Percy's eyes widened in shock, but not nearly as much as Hermione's did.

"W-what do you mean by that?"

Quickly, Hermione covered her tracks. "Well, I mean, maybe I'd wanted to be kissed. Not just by you, you know." Alright, so it _was _Percy she wanted to be kissed by, but that information was on a need to know basis, and Percy just didn't need to know.

"Oh…" Percy replied, still looking a bit taken aback.

"Well, think about it," she said, "Here I am, pregnant, unmarried, and I haven't dated in a really long time. I don't feel attractive, or that anyone would want me. Then, you come along, and you tell me I'm beautiful and kiss me. And for a few moments, I actually felt like someone could like me, and think I'm pretty. And then, you leave, and I feel completely unloved and alone."

Her statement hadn't been entirely false. Percy _had _made her feel like that, and it had all gone rushing out the window when he'd left. Hermione just forgot to mention that most of all, she'd felt like she was someone _he _could love.

Percy looked like Hermione had just told him a runaway broom had hit his pet owl. "I made you feel like that?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I have cried myself to sleep for two nights now." With that, Percy almost jumped up from his chair in his rush to get to her. He kneeled on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"I am so, so, so sorry, Hermione," he said sorrowfully. Hermione could feel her eyes filling with tears at the gesture. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"It's alright," she said, "I know you didn't mean it."

"But it's not alright!" he said urgently, pulling back. "I can't even believe that I made you feel like that. I've already done quite enough to you in the past seven months!" Hermione let out a small laugh at that, putting her arms around Percy's neck; he quickly hugged her back.

"Thank you," she said, "That means a lot to me."

"No, thank _you_," Percy replied, softly kissing her cheek. He pulled back after a few moments. "So, do you forgive me?" he asked, giving her the saddest puppy dog eyes.

Hermione sighed. "Of course, you git."

"Really, thank you, Mione," he said, this time kissing her forehead. "I'm really not worthy of such a great woman." The last sentence struck Hermione as odd, but she waved it off, opting to take in the moment and forget it.

"No problem, Perce," she said tentatively, giving him a small smile. He moved back again, eyeing Hermione questioningly.

"So, um, do you want me to go and let you eat in peace?"

"No, why don't you stay?" Hermione replied, motioning to the chair beside hers.

Percy looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly, "There's no sense in having to clean dishes for just one of us, right?"

"I guess so," he said, sitting down in the offered chair. He studied Hermione for a moment after that. And with a sad smile on his face, he spoke again. "I've really missed you, you know."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'you've really missed me'? We've not been more than a mile away from each other the entire time we haven't been talking."

Percy blushed. "Well, you know, I missed talking to you about your day, feeling the baby kick, just sitting around with you and catching up on work. Over the past few months, well… you've become my best friend, Mione."

Reaching over and taking Percy's hand, Hermione smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah," he admitted, shrugging. This only caused Hermione's smile to brighten. Even through her growing feelings for Percy, not to mention the fact that they were about to become parents together, Hermione had felt their friendship begin to change. And although she already had several people she considered 'Best Friend', she knew Percy was one of the highest on the list.

"Well, you're one of my best friends, too," she said, squeezing his hand.

"What, only _one _of your best friends?" he joked.

"Yes, well, I don't remember you ever saving me from a troll," she said, sticking out her tongue playfully. Percy simply grinned and pulled Hermione into another hug. And Hermione was glad to have things back to normal. Even if she could never have any kind of romantic involvement with Percy, it was good to at least have her friend back.

******

(A/N- aww, yay! Percy and Hermione are friends again! Isn't it great? Now if only they'd listen to me and get to the romance! …um, _yeaaaaah_.

And poor, poor Mione, feeling all lonely. Now, as I believe I am rather confusing, I'll explain: what Hermione said to Percy, about feeling loved when he kissed her and all that, it was true. She _had _felt loved and wanted, and completely horrid when he'd pulled back. And yeah, they made up quickly, but you've got to remember those fluctuating hormones.

Now, to those wonderful people who have given me feedback:

Hermione 18- thanks! Was it soon enough?

Kazza- glad you liked the last one! How about this?

Rebecca Anne- yes, Chelsea is evil (and gone, I think!)! And kissing is always good, even if it is a bit angst filled.

airhead14- oh, I have reasons for not doing it in Percy's POV, but I can't say what those are at this moment…

Loran- heehee, the Murdering of the Sluts! Sounds like it could be a Voldie act… but I am rather partial to unfortunate rusty hedge clipper accidents…

Taryn- how about that one? Was it good? And I know, not super fast… but still!

PhoenixRae- yes, MOST secretaries are great! And you've gotta love the liplocking!

sanguinans- aww, poor you! But I'm sure you've seen it plenty now! And yes, the angst has to contribute to a happy ending, because even though I know I can write angst, I don't like to end things badly… makes me feel bad!

Harry Potter- You're very welcome! And yeah, the romance has to come eventually… way eventually… I'm rather evil, I know! But still, it's always better to build things up before you get to them!

FairLady- yeah, Kleenex were needed! When I was writing, I almost felt the need to want to cry! Sorry, I'm just an Ice Queen… I've been very desensitized over the years!

Melissa- I don't know if Chelsea is going to be back in the story. I mean, maybe, but she's already served her purpose… yeah, I'm glad he's not going out with her again, too!

Sneezy Mouse- you're welcome! I laughed at that line, too, but I don't know why either… perhaps it was the sleep deprivation…

Chavi- yeah, it's always sad to see stuff like that happen for practical soul mates. Don't worry, they'll get it together!

Elena Guidry- oh, wow *blush * Thanks so much! Although if I gave out the awards for best fanfics, the big one would go to Cassandra Claire over at FictionAlley, for the Holy Trilogy of fanfiction… but really, thanks so much!

Yukito Forever- aww, man, I don't get kudos! I can't catch the reference… must be the lack of sleep! Yes, that's it!

dracos-baby-gurl- aw, no don't cry! Thanks a bunch!

Laureen 'The Edge' Lycan- Mione is just a bit troubled…you'll do crazy things in love, like forget to use your brain!

gohansfollower- yeah, Britney's a bit… riiiiiiigggghhhht… And there's more!

chanita- sorry, but things have to end in their places every now and then. And besides, would you rather a bit of angst now with a happy ending, or all fluff with a terribly sad one?

joybear- ooh, wow, thanks! And I'm glad SOMEONE thought Percy's leaving was a good thing… well, not a good thing, but better for the story, anyway!

Hermione Malfoy- hehe, loved the email addy, sis! And I heart you almost as much as I heart prison, too! You're pretty Uber, as well! And just to squeeze in one more of our things, I'm gonna end this… * looks around with a sly smile * OLD SCHOOL!!!

Aglaia- thanks so much! And yes, tender kissing frenzies are the best frenzies of all!

HPFFG- yes, kissing, yay!!! I'm glad I got that in there FINALLY!

Jade Straight- oh, you heart me!? I heart you too! Thanks so much, and I'm glad you liked the Ron and Draco, too!

Clare- thanks for the idea, but I'd don't think Mione is going to inform Molly or her mom about the making out… just a bit awkward… though I may have Molly whack Percy upside the head, yet!

takari4ever7- woohoo, I've made a new Percy/Mione fan! If only part time, it still warms the heart *grin *

Vanillastar- aww, thanks!

Skye Rocket- heeheehehee! I'm evil! Yeah, I'd be nice if we all had a guy like Percy… hmm, is anyone else thinking Naked Thursdays? …oh, you meant to TELL us the good stuff! *Blush * yeah, that's be nice, too!

Gem Stone- don't worry, more is on the way soon!

Silver Dragon Princess- she is a ho! Yeah, Mione did get depressed, too!

springroll27- I know, Percy had to just leave! He's all mean and stuff! Well, no, he's not, he had his reasons! Yeah, I want more action too!

Philyra- aww, don't cry! Yeah, I've been posting here longer, so I've got more chapters posted!

Okay, thanks a lot, guys, and especially if you review! Love ya lots! Now I'm gonna sign out… OLD SCHOOL!!!!)


	16. Friendly Interactions

Disclaimer- Arg! I don't own it! That stupid Ownership-Transference Ray didn't work! Great, now I've got to call Maytag and get them to refund my money!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 16: Friendly Interactions

After the conversation at the Leaky Cauldron, things had gotten much better between the roommates. Percy had become even more affectionate than he'd always been, kissing Hermione on the forehead or the cheek every morning before he left for work, at bedtime, and almost any other time they were going to be apart for more than five minutes.

But even with the kisses coming in abundance, Percy never kissed Hermione on the lips again. After the last time, it wasn't even an option. And while Hermione wished that Percy _would _actually kiss her, take her into his arms and whisper sweet nothings into her ear all night long (A/N- Hermione's pretty sappy, huh?), she knew it wouldn't happen. Even though she loved him, Hermione had no plans to tell that to Percy, so she'd just make do with his friendly affections.

Hermione had more problems to deal with. She had been away from work for two weeks, and she was going out of her mind with boredom. She had put the final touches on the nursery, redone those twice, organized the kitchen, read and re-read every baby book she owned, and that had taken less than a week. Work had been a major part of her life, and with it being gone, there was nothing to do.

Sighing, she practically slammed her book down on the table. Boredom and restlessness were a dangerous combination, especially if you were Hermione Granger. Suddenly, she was hit with an idea. She silently stood up from the couch, sneaking to her bedroom and pulling the door to; shutting it would make too much noise.

Quietly, Hermione crept to her briefcase, which Percy had made her put up in the closet. He had insisted that she not even think about work on her maternity leave. She had promptly given him a rather rude finger gesture, a blazing row following over the amount of work she could do 'in her condition' as Percy had so delicately put it. Eventually she had given in, due to sheer persistence on Percy's part.

Grabbing several pieces of parchment, Hermione began to write a report on Nundu Defense Orders, something she'd meant to do for _weeks._ However, something felt wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was bugging Hermione. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end, as if she was being watched.

Reloading her quill, Hermione rubbed her arm nervously, trying to calm her nerves. Before she could even begin to write, a large hand came down on her shoulder, a deep voice speaking. "And just what do you think you are doing?"

Hermione jumped almost off of her chair. She quickly swiveled around to come face to face with a disapproving Percy. "I- uh, I was just…"

"Doing work?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No!" Hermione insisted, "I, um-" Percy gathered the papers from her desk and placed them in the briefcase, using a powerful locking spell.

"I can't believe I have to do this, Mione," he said disappointedly. He walked out of the room, and Hermione quickly followed him, all the way into his bedroom where he placed it high up in his closet.

"Oh, come on, Perce," she said pleadingly, "Just let me do one report. Please?"

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "You aren't to do anything stressful, Amelia said so."

"My work isn't stressful!" Hermione told him urgently, "Come on, Percy, please." She then commenced to give him her sweetest smile. But even that couldn't fizzle Percy's resolve.

"I don't think so," he replied.

Grumpily, Hermione sat down on his bed. "Fine! _You_ figure out something for me to do, then!"

Percy looked thoughtful as he sat down beside her. "How about a nap?"

Hermione scowled. "Not even!"

"Read one of the baby books?"

"Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt," she said uninterestedly.

Sighing, Percy put up an offer that appeased her. "Well, would you like to help me work?"

Hermione sat up happily. "Okay!" she said, sounding very much like a little girl who had been told she could got to work with Daddy. (A/N- to anyone who even _thought _about making anything dirty out of that last sentence: remove mind from gutter, continue reading!) She headed out into the living room with Percy, sitting beside him on the couch.

"Alright, now, I've got to read through these reports and summarize them," he said, picking up a large file. Hermione nodded, beginning to read alongside Percy. She soon began to question his sanity as he went over page after page, reading with rapt attention. If this was better than his old department, he must be crazy!

Shifting closer, Hermione rested her head on Percy's shoulder. "And this is what you do every day?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, well, it pays the bills, right?" Percy said shrugging. He slipped an arm around Hermione's waist, his hand resting lightly on her swollen belly. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, and she snuggled even closer to him.

"Maybe I'll rethink that nap thing," she said, closing her eyes.

"Thank you," Percy sighed, laying his cheek against Hermione's hair. She laughed softly before letting sleep take over.

******

Hermione grinned at Percy as they moved down the sidewalk in Muggle London, hand-in-hand. "You know, you really don't have to do this," she said.

"But I want to!" Percy said excitedly, trying to pull her faster. An idea had hit Percy a few days before that, and they had made big plans for that Friday night. He was going to take Hermione to dinner and a Muggle movie, both his treat, as a sort of a friendly date. Hermione was now just over eight months into her pregnancy, and she loved Percy's constant attempts to keep her spirits up.

"You know, I think you just might be turning into your father," Hermione commented, tugging on Percy's hand to slow him down.

"Yes, well, we all have to turn into our parents sometime," he said. He was positively beaming at the prospect of seeing a movie, something Hermione knew he'd done twice before.

"No, no," she said, shaking her finger, "We'll become parents… just not our own." Percy let out a laugh, once again moving down the walk. They were going to a theater that played older movies, and Percy was very excited by the idea, seeing Muggle movies from an older genre.

Stopping in front of the theater, the posters immediately caught Percy's attention. "Woah…" he breathed, admiring the pictures and titles. "Hey, what about this one?" Percy pointed out a black-and-white poster featuring the title 'Dracula.'

"Ooh, no," Hermione said, stepping back with a shudder. "I saw that one when I was a little girl, and it gave me nightmares for weeks!"

"Why, is it very scary?" he asked grinning.

"Yes," she replied, eyeing the poster carefully to assess that Bela Lugosi wouldn't jump off of the paper and bite her neck. Even though she lived in the magical world, and had actually met vampires, Muggle movies with preconceived notions were often scarier.

"Well, why don't you pick one?" Percy suggested. Very carefully scanning over the choices, Hermione smiled when she came to a particular one.

"Gone With the Wind," Hermione said softly.

Percy frowned. "What kind of movie is that?"

"Well," she said, "It's a romance, but there's plenty of war scenes, as well." Hermione smiled, and she knew Percy had given in when he sighed.

"Alright," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll see it."

"Thank you, Percy," Hermione said sweetly, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving with his free hand. Hermione then led Percy into the lobby, to the refreshment stand.

"What can I get for you?" a smiling woman with gray hair asked. Studying the menu, Hermione finally decided, choosing _plenty _of candy, an overlarge bag of popcorn, and a bottled water.

As they left the counter, Percy frowned. "You know, Mione, it might not be a great idea to send me to the poorhouse right now. We do have about eighteen years of major spending ahead of us." Hermione looked at the small popcorn and soft drink he was carrying, compared to the rather large supply of sweets she had.

"Oh, right," she said sheepishly, color rising in her cheeks. She and Percy quickly made their way to the balcony seats, sitting in the first row. Hermione quickly checked through her purse, pulling out the small packet of tissues she kept.

"What're those for?" Percy asked, munching on one of Hermione's chocolate candies.

"You'll see," she said with a knowing smile. Before long, the lights dimmed, and the classic movie began to play. And just as Hermione predicted, she needed the tissues very soon.

She felt Percy's arm slide around her shoulders and she leaned against him, grateful for his comforting presence. Gone With the Wind had always done that to her, and it just happened to be one of her favorite movies. Scarlet O' Hara was such a heroine.

"And with God as my witness, I swear I shall never go hungry again!" Scarlet called. This only served to fuel Hermione's tears. And as the lights came up and the credits to the movie were played, she was glad to see she wasn't the only one in tears. The theater would have made a killing had they sold boxes of tissues.

Looking over at Percy, Hermione let out a small laugh. His eyes were damp, and he looked as if he was fighting a great internal battle. "Percy, are you crying?"

"No!" he insisted, turning away and wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket. "Just a bit of dust in my eyes, is all." The catch in his voice told Hermione otherwise.

"Alright," she said, sniffling. "Come on, let's go to dinner."

"Don't tell me you're still hungry," Percy replied, motioning to the empty candy boxes.

"Well I _am _pregnant," she said defensively.

Percy chuckled. "I'm just teasing, Hermione, I'm sorry." She simply stuck her tongue out at him, taking satisfaction at the redness of his eyes. It was definitely something to tell his brothers about!

******

Hermione sighed as she turned on her bed for the seventh time in a half-hour. She'd been unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep since eleven, and she was feeling very agitated. The insomnia was getting to her greatly.

Finally, she sat up. "Percy!" she called, crossing her arms over her chest. When she received no response, she tried again. "_Percy!_" This time, a definite noise was heard. Hermione listened to the heavy footfalls as Percy walked through his bedroom and down the hall. He pushed the door open, leaning against the frame.

"What, Hermione?" he asked rubbing his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep," she moaned.

Percy looked at her incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that you woke me up at-," he glanced at the clock, "three AM to tell me that you can't sleep?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "Yes," she replied with a frown.

Shaking his head, Percy turned around. "_Goodnight_, Hermione."

"Wait!" Hermione said urgently.

"What is it?" Percy replied sleepily.

Her face now completely red, Hermione stared at the ground near Percy's feet. "Well, do you think you could sit with me for a while?" Percy sighed, but he nodded, moving to sit on the bed. He leaned back against the headboard and pulled the covers around him.

"It's bloody freezing!" he said, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

Hermione, of course, took offense. "Well it's not _my _fault I'm having hot flashes!"

"I didn't say it was your fault," Percy replied, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Hmph!" Hermione said, turning her head away from him. She knew she was being immature about it, but she couldn't help herself. But even while she was feeling supreme irritation towards Percy, she couldn't help but notice how good his arm felt around her.

"Please, Mione, I'm sorry," he said pleadingly. Hermione moved down in the bed and turned on to her side, away from him. Percy faithfully followed, his other arm going around her as he too lay down. 

"I'm really sorry, Hermione," he said sincerely.

Hermione hid her smile in the pillow. "Well, I guess I'll forgive you this time," she replied, feeling herself getting sleepy.

"Good," Percy yawned, moving closer to Hermione. Inwardly, she sighed happily. "Night, Hermione," he said, kissing her hair.

"Night, Percy," she replied, drifting off to sleep, a hint of a smile on her lips. Had she turned around, she would have seen that Percy had one that matched hers.

******

(A/N- sorry for a short chapter! This was basically just filler, as I don't want to rush to the next chapter.

Sorry if that Gone With the Wind stuff isn't correct. I haven't ever seen it, although my Mom has a new project in mind for this weekend. She considers it a travesty that I haven't cried my eyes out at a movie since Where the Red Fern Grows.

Now, for those wonderful reviewers:

Hermione18- oh, thank you! And thanks for the advice, but I've already kinda got the rest of the story planned out. But maybe I'll use it if I change it up a bit; I do that all the time!

sanguinans- Yes, sad endings are so bad! Really, I can't take them most of the time. But this'll be pretty fluffy from now on, if the past chapter was any indicator!

Taryn- I know, l need it too! Don't worry, it's coming!

Loran- heehee! Tell you what: you get Tom, I'll get one of his brothers!

takari4ever7- okay, lets see… the baby is in about another month, Gin and Harry's wedding is in seven, and the romance is on the way!

Harry Potter- thank you for your understanding! Glad to know you appreciate the non-rushingness!

HPFFG- don't worry, they're on the way

Skye Rocket- aw, thanks!

Rebecca Anne- I know, nobody loves poor Charlie *sniff * Well, I do! And thanks a lot!

Sneezy Mouse- yeah, I wish it'd hurry up, too! I can't wait for the fun chapter!

FairLady- I know, they should just do it, but then where would my plot go?

princess … cutiepie?- well I can't say that! It'd give away too much! But don't worry, they'll get together eventually!

Lady Malfoy II- awww, thanks so much! And, like I've said MANY times before, I'm evil! They'll get it together eventually *grumbles *

internalscream- thanks a lot! Don't worry, more on the way soon!

springroll27- yeah, I'm glad they're on good terms, too! And there's more coming!

joybear- oh, thanks so much! And wouldn't it be great if we could all find a guy like Percy? *sigh *

Clare- oh, men are such jerks (I'm having stepfather problems now, and I can't stand him at the moment) Really, Charlie does need to start whacking him, as well! Or maybe Fred and George with their Beater clubs… 

Kazza- yes, people really should enjoy life while they've got it; it'll always turn out so much better if you do! And I believe that I might just have to incorporate the Charlie Weasley Counseling Service in future fics…

gohansfollower- I know, they're acting so dumb! Really, they just need to get themselves going with the romance! And if Charlie would help, it'd be great!

Yukito Forever- yeah, they should get on with it! And I couldn't place that quote, glad you told me! It was really cute!

Jade Straight- I KNOW!!! They are so obstinate! Really, they should hurry it on!

Camden Elizabeth Stephano- oh, thank you so much! I'm going to try to check out your fic in a bit. And I HATE it when my internet stops working! I generally just threaten to throw it out the window, but it doesn't listen *glare * Really, though, thanks a lot!

PhoenixRae- hmm, maybe… You'll just have to wait and see!

Silver Dragon Princess- in the future, don't worry! And I'm glad they made up, too!

TReader- oh, thank you very much! And maybe I've created a new Percy/Mione shipper? *crosses fingers* I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

kim- I'll try to let you know with emails, but I'm not promising anything! My brain doesn't tend to want to function and remember things when I really want to… thanks a bunch, though!

delila_malfoy- well, it didn't have any major, dangerous cliffies, but there were some… I think. Don't worry, I only write happily ever afters!

Vanilla Twist- oh, yay, I've got a Ron/Hermione-er! And on the Percy and Mr. Weasley fight thing: the info on that will be released in the future! I'm quite glad that you appreciate the non-rushing of the story!

anything-but-ordinary- yes, I watched the Oprah show, and that ticked me off too! Really, Tom should've been there! *Cries too* Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Lulu-Chan- ooh, yes! Another Percy/Oliver shipper reviewer! I always love it when other Percy shippers read and review, it gives a great new POV for me! And I love it that you remembered so many things from the fic in your review!

Thank you guys so much for reading my story (AND REVIEWING), and I just have to tell you that it's going to end in just a few more chapters. More than I'd originally thought, but still, it'll only be a bit longer. And I'd like to ask everyone to write Percy/Hermione stories. Really, FF.net needs more!)


	17. A Heavily Pregnant Pause

Disclaimer- You know I don't own it, nor have I ever. The characters belong to JK Rowling, although the uncomfortable situation I have put Percy and Hermione in is all mine!

Early A/N- okay, sorry this took longer than usual to post. I had some problems, which I'll tell you about in the A/N at the bottom of the page!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 17: A Heavily Pregnant Pause

When the day of February tenth had approached, Hermione was completely prepared. Her bags had been packed and were sitting in the hall closet. The preparations for her arrival were already taken care of at St. Mungo's. The entire Weasley clan was on alert. The only thing not ready was the baby.

On Hermione's due date, she and Percy sat at their flat all day, tensely awaiting the arrival of their child. But as the seconds, minutes, and hours ticked by, not a sign of labor came around. Soon enough, the day had passed, and the baby was late. This put Hermione completely on edge.

The day after, she and Percy had gone to St. Mungo's to see Amelia, wanting to ensure that the baby was fine. "Don't worry," she'd said, "Babies are late all the time. It is perfectly natural. The little one will come out when it's ready."

As Hermione and Percy walked out of the office, he made a suggestion. "Why don't we go see my Mum? She knows about this stuff, _quite _obviously."

"Yes, lets," Hermione agreed, the prospect of Molly's food quite a good one. They quickly made their way to the Leaky Cauldron, to use the fireplace. One restriction Amelia had placed on Hermione from that point was that she not Apparate. At this late stage in her pregnancy, if Hermione Apparated, she could very well leave the baby behind!

"Come on, we'll go together, okay?" Percy said, taking Hermione's hand as they approached the fireplace. Although it irked Hermione that Percy was treating her like an invalid, she chose not to say anything.

Percy quickly threw in a pinch of Floo Powder, both he and Hermione saying, "The Burrow!" And a very dizzying ride later, they landed in the grate in the kitchen to find Molly and Arthur eating lunch.

"Is it time?" Molly asked urgently. Hermione shook her head, sighing.

"No," she said, sneering at nothing in particular. "But the doctor said it's perfectly natural for it to be late." She and Percy both took seats at the table.

"Yes, that's right," Molly said, nodding. "Three out of seven were late with me."

"Which ones?" Hermione asked.

"Percy, Charlie, and Ginny," Arthur said, smiling at Percy.

"Don't worry, dear," Molly said, placing her hand on Hermione's shoulder, "This is all just a part of nature. Often first children are late."

"I just wish this thing would get out of me already!" she sighed, putting her head down on the table.

Percy moved his chair closer and rubbed Hermione's back, something she was very grateful for. "Just look at it this way, Mione," he said, "Maybe you've just made such a good home for the baby for the past nine months that it doesn't want to leave." Hermione sniffed, tears filling her eyes.

"Thank you," she said tearfully. Percy smiled, moving even closer and taking Hermione into his arms.

"You're welcome, sweetie," he replied, softly kissing her hair. Hermione didn't notice the look that Molly and Arthur shared.

After Percy pulled back, Molly smiled. "Would you kids like some lunch?"

"Yes, please," Hermione said happily, her mood changing instantly.

Molly stood up and marched to the fridge, searching through it's contents. "Well, let's see… there's some leftover bacon from breakfast, I could make sandwiches."

"That sounds _great_," Hermione said enthusiastically. "Do you need any help?"

"Oh, no, you just relax," Molly replied kindly.

Arthur suddenly cleared his throat. "Percy, could I have a word, please? In the other room?" Percy nodded, squeezing Hermione's shoulder gently.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Hermione nodded and smiled. After a few moments, Molly sat down a plate on the table, one that was piled high with sandwiches. Hermione eagerly reached for one.

When she had taken just a few bites, talking with Molly about the last finishing touches (she'd already done them five times) on the nursery, and exasperated groan came from the other room. Hermione looked at the door strangely, but Molly didn't even bat an eyelash.

And as they continued to talk, Percy's and Arthur's voices only got louder. After only a few more moments, Percy shouted. "Dad, I said _no_!" The younger Weasley arrived in the kitchen very shortly afterward, flinging himself into a chair beside Hermione.

Hermione reached over a put her hand on his arm. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" he said sharply. Hermione moved her hand back, tears welling in her eyes at his harsh tone. Percy noticed this, his face softening. "Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude." She nodded, a wet trail moving down her cheek.

"It's fine…" she breathed, a soft sob escaping her.

"Please, Mione, I'm so sorry!" Percy said urgently, taking her hands, "Please don't cry."

"Alright," she said, nodding.

He tilted her chin up with one finger, brushing away her tears with another. "Would you smile for me? Please?" Hermione turned the corners of her mouth upward so slightly that it was barely noticeable, but Percy accepted it; he hugged her tightly, and everything was lost to Hermione except for him. "Atta girl," he said softly.

"Maybe you two had better get home," Molly commented. Hermione snapped back into awareness of everything surrounding her, like the fact that Molly was in the room and that Arthur still wasn't.

"Uh, yeah, why don't we do that," she said, faking a yawn, "I'm rather tired."

"Alright," Percy said as he stood up, helping Hermione to her feet. "Besides, we have a few things to do."

"Thank you for lunch, Molly," Hermione said, bestowing a small smile.

"It was no trouble," she replied, also standing. "And remember, Hermione, get plenty of rest while you wait."

"I will," she replied, taking Percy by the hand.

"Bye, Mum," he called over his shoulder as Hermione grabbed the Floo Powder; after only a moment, they were going through the twirling maze of grates to their home.

They landed rather softly, as Hermione had recently placed a Cushioning Charm on the hearth. The duo stood and began to brush the soot off of their clothes, when Hermione decided to ask what Percy had argued with his father about. "So," she said, "What did you talk with Arthur about?"

Percy shook his head. "For the millionth time, he told me to ask you to marry me. Said he and Mum have figured out that the baby being late is some kind of an omen."

"Oh," Hermione said, nodding.

"I-I mean, what a ridiculous notion," Percy said with a nervous sounding laugh.

"Yeah," Hermione said awkwardly. She and Percy stood in the living room silently for several moments, shuffling their feet and wondering what to say. Suddenly, the silence getting to her, Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, um, I'm just going to go lie down for a while."

"Okay," Percy said, nodding. "I, uh,-" he cut himself off with a blush and small smile. Hermione blushed too, turning and heading into her bedroom. 

Lying back against her pillows and turning out her lamp, her brow furrowed. 'What was that about?'

******

Six days later, there was still no sign of the baby. Hermione was slightly worried still. She'd talked to her own mother, who'd also assured her that it was perfectly normal, but it was a frightening fact nonetheless.

Sitting in a chair beside Ron and Draco's bed, she sighed heavily at her best friend. "Ron, stop being dumb and just go!"

Ron bit his lip, his gaze shifting between Hermione in the chair and Draco on the bed, and occasionally to Harry and Ginny who were standing by the door. For the past twenty minutes, the group had been unsuccessfully trying to convince Ron to go ahead with his and Draco's plans for their vacation. He originally hadn't wanted to leave too soon after the baby was born, but he was putting serious thought into postponing it altogether.

But all the bags were packed, the hotel room reserved, the events planned, and nobody wanted them to miss it. Even Ron wanted to go, but his devotion to his best friend was higher on the list.

"I don't know…" he said quietly, now raising a hand to his mouth and biting his fingernails, something he only did when a big decision was to be made.

"Ron, love," Draco said, pulling his hand back down to his side, "I want to be here for Hermione, too; you know I do. But we've already paid quite a lot of money for this trip- not that I mind it, you know," he added quickly.

"And Ron," Ginny added, "If you don't take this vacation now, you won't get another opportunity for quite some time."

"Quite true," Harry said.

"Well, I suppose you're right," Ron conceded, "But what about Hermione?"

"Ron, it's not like you _need _to pace the waiting room. Remember, I've already got your entire family to do that. And Percy will be with me in the delivery room, holding my hand," Hermione said, barely controlling the glare she wanted to send him.

"B- but the baby will probably come, and I won't be there," he said, "And I'd feel so horrible if I wasn't."

"Ron, you've no need to feel horrible," Hermione told him firmly.

Suddenly, Draco looked struck with an idea. "Alright, Ron, how about this: if Hermione goes into labor while we're gone, somebody can send us an owl, and we'll Apparate as soon as we get it. How's that?"

Ron looked slightly appeased by this, but he was still hesitant. He turned to Hermione, kneeling down on the floor in front of her. "Would you really be okay if I went, Mione?"

"For the millionth time, Ron, _yes_!" she said, giving him a reassuring smile and resisting the urge to slap him. "And if you don't go right now, I'm going to kick you all the way to Greece!" Ron grinned, standing back up.

"Okay, I'm going!" he said, making the other four occupants sigh in relief.

"Finally!" Draco moaned. He walked over to Ginny and Harry, hugging both of them, before going to Hermione. "I promise we'll get there as soon as we can if you go into labor, okay?"

"I know," Hermione said, nodding. She hugged Draco, watching as Ron gave his good-byes to Harry and Ginny before he came to her.

"Now, try to not have this thing until we're back, alright Mione?" he said, softly patting her belly.

"Yeah, right," she replied sarcastically, finally releasing the glare that had been dying to escape for _ages_. Ron simply smiled and hugged her.

"We'll hurry back," he said.

"You'd bloody well better not!" Hermione replied. "Now go!" Ron chuckled and stood beside Draco, both of them taking hold of their luggage.

"Bye!" they called simultaneously, Disapparating together. Hermione heaved herself to her feet, walking out the door after Harry and Ginny.

"Okay, I'm going to go home," she said, heading for the fireplace. Seeing that Ginny was about to speak, she cut her off. "And yes, I'll get you notified _immediately_ when I go to St. Mungo's."

"You know me so well!" Ginny said, impressed.

"Yes, well, it's not that hard to figure _you _out," Hermione replied teasingly, she quickly Flooed home before Ginny could reply. A feeling of nausea hit her as she spun around and around, and she was very grateful to feel the ground beneath her feet as she arrived home. She quickly collapsed into a chair by the fire, rubbing her eyelids.

"They finally went, eh?" Hermione looked up to see Percy reading a copy of the Daily Prophet; she hadn't noticed him when she'd arrived. And the site she received was a terrific one. Percy had his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, the light from the fire reflecting off of the glass, his beautiful eyes, and the thick red locks on his head. He looked very mature and refined, and Hermione felt her heart skip.

But no matter the level of physical attraction she felt to Percy, she knew it wasn't simply a crush that she felt. The only word that could even come close was love, but it simply wasn't enough. And even though all wounds heal with time, Hermione knew that Percy and the love she felt for him would last all time.

"Oh, uh, yeah," she replied, kicking off her shoes. "Draco finally got him to go when he suggested the idea that someone send them a letter when the baby comes. I can't believe that they'd cut short such an expensive vacation just because of me, though."

"I'd believe it," Percy said, folding the Prophet and setting it on the coffee table. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but Percy did not look like he was willing to diverge any more on the subject. "Now, can I do anything for you? Anything at all?"

Hermione tentatively glanced down at her legs, smiling back up at Percy. "A foot rub?" she asked hopefully.

"Anything for you, Mione," he said quietly, abandoning his position on the couch and sitting at her feet on the floor. Once again, Hermione was puzzled. Anything…? Deciding not to comment, she sat back and let Percy work his magic on her aching feet.

******

Five days later, Hermione was feeling quite angry at the world. The baby was now _twelve_ days late! At first, she'd been a bit peeved, but mainly worried. Now, the only emotion she was experiencing was the desire to have that thing out of her!

She walked slowly into the living room, a hand on her belly, the other pushing back the loose strands of hair that had slipped from her ponytail and were currently tickling her face. Percy was seated on the sofa, looking rather pensive. "What's up?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

Percy shook his head. "Just thinking through something," he replied quietly, staring into the fire. Hermione watched him for a moment as she fixed her hair back, wondering exactly what he was thinking about. His face, while thoughtful, also looked very intense and worried.

Hermione reached out a hand and placed it on his back, hoping to help relieve some of the tension. The effect was quite the contrary, as Percy looked decidedly nervous at that point.

"Percy, are you alright?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Percy shook his head. "Not really. I mean, physically, I'm fine, but there is something that is really bothering me right now."

After a moment, Hermione decided to press on. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think I'd better, before it drives me crazy," he replied with a small laugh. He gently took Hermione's hand in his, shifting so that he faced her on the sofa. "Now, Hermione, before I tell you, you have to know that this is something I never planned on. It just… happened."

"What happened, Percy?" Hermione asked, quite bewildered by what he was saying. Percy wasn't making one lick of sense to her.

"Well, it's something that's also really hard for me to say," he said, a ghost of a smile on his face, a sad smile.

Hermione gave a different, encouraging smile, squeezing his hand. "You know you can always tell me anything, Percy." All of a sudden, she was hit with a strange feeling in her abdomen. It passed as soon as it came though, and Hermione decided that it was nothing.

"Well, Mione, you know how I told you that you've become my best friend over the last few months?"

"Yes…" she replied slowly.

Percy grinned, but it was still sad. "Well, you've really got no idea of exactly how special you are to me."

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion. And that strange feeling was back.

Percy took a deep breath, as did Hermione. "Hermione, I lo-"

"Oh!" she said, clutching her belly.

"I know," Percy said, shaking his head. "I mean, how awkward does this make things?"

Alarm began to set in as Hermione realized exactly what those strange feelings had been. "What are you talking about, Percy?" she asked.

"Well, Mione, I-" he began, stopping short at the look on her face. "Hermione, what's the matter?"

Hermione looked down at her stomach, then back up at Percy. "Percy, the baby is coming."

******

(A/N- ooh, how evil am I? I bet you all really hate me now! And what exactly was Percy trying to say? I shan't give you any hints, due to my innate evilness. I mean, I really gotta stop drinkin' that Hatorade! And yes, I realize that the going into labor was wrong. Hermione's water would have broken! But that didn't fit the purposes of the story, because even though she's in the dark about most of the pregnancy stuff, I'm sure Hermione would have noticed a whole bunch of fluids at her feet! So sorry bout that! I hated having to do it, but oh well!

Alright, now I know I generally post chapters every six days (those of you that check it every six days know that!), and this has taken eight, but I've had some problems in the last few days. I was just working on my notes to the reviewers, when my Dad called. He has some heart problems, and he had to go to the emergency room, and he needed me to go with him, and help keep him awake. So I stayed there with him for, like, five hours, and only three people had gotten through the ER, so we left. I am still catching up on my sleep now. So no yelling at me about the wait!

Now, to all the people who reviewed, who will probably be attaching my name to their voodoo dolls after that chapter:

Lulu-Chan- oh, no, not mocking you! I'm quite impressed you remembered so much! Even I don't, and it's my story! And I know what you mean about them putting in Oliver *shakes fist at mods* Don't know if I'll start writing slash, though. I've done enough with the Ron/Draco here! Maybe one day, though…

PaintedDragon- I know, Charlie ROX!!! I think he's so cool… even cooler than Bill!

sanguinans- Oh, I know what you mean about there being no Percy/Hermione stories. I've only really become a shipper of them since I started this fic, but I'm addicted now. Check out Thalia's stories, they're the best!

gohansfollower- oh, I know what you mean about writing scenes early. In fact, I've already written the last chapter to this, and I've had it for well over a month! But I'm still tweaking it, though.

Space Efficient Girl- oh, yay! A new shipper! Always glad to get new fans of Percy/Mione!

kazza- yeah, Percy needs to be a little… effeminate every now and then!

misao- Thanks! The next one will be up soon!

Loran- sure, I'll take the 18 year old… I like older men anyway! And Tom is, like, four months younger than me, so hmph! to him! I'M JUST KIDDING!!! And no, I don't think they'd all buy a tragic hedgeclipper accident… 

Mocca- oh thank you so much!! I love it when I go on faves lists! And when I get new readers! Yeah, there are a lot of stories on FF.net that aren't up to par (and if you ask me, mine all go there!). But I have found a few!

Lady Potter- thanks! Generally, I post every six days, if I can!

Skye Rocket- oh, that movie was awful! And when I read the book, I went through a whole box of tissues! My sister made fun of me for hours… I retaliated when I started quoting Old Yeller and Bambi, though!

delila_malfoy- Did you like that one? Not sweet, really, but very vital to the plot!

Taryn- wasn't it priceless? All men need to be a little sensitive, I think… but they aren't! I hate men… sorry, I'm having a few issues right now!

Vanillastar- thanks so much!

Clare- oh, poor you! I know when I get pregnant, I'll be upset if my husband has to work at night (HA! I'd need a boyfriend before I could even start thinking husband, and then another six years at least before I start thinking pregnant!) And you have been a very good reviewer for quite some time, so thank you very much!

Elena Guidry- oh, I wish I had enough patience for that! I doubt I'd ever be able to keep a fic going that long!

Bella O- Thank you! I know, they need to work it out!

HPFFG- oh, I'll try to check out the fic, if I can get my ISP to be nice to me (fat chance… they hate me!)

Lana- yes, a whack on the head would be great, huh? Charlie needs to fill that Older Brother role!

Sneezy Mouse- yeah, I've heard Life as a House was good… it had Hayden Christensen, right? *drools* He's so cute! And I hope you find the birth entertaining, it hasn't been fun to write- too complicated for someone who's never gone through it… well, barring my own, anyway!

FairLady- you'll know all that soon! Next chapter, I swear!

PhoenixRae- ugh, work! Oh, I can't even complain, I don't have a job… well, unless you count babysitting my sister- the eighteen year old, who is three years older than me! She acts like such a baby!

Camden Elizabeth Stephano- yes, I want more Percy/Mione stuff!

Bitc-of-da-world- I know, they so need to hurry it up!

joybear- I know, I'm in love with my Percy too! Well, all of my male characters… Did you really like the mood swings?

silverlime- sorry it wasn't sooner! I'll try harder, I swear!

Gem Stone- there's more!! And I'll have the next one out sooner that this one was!

melanjia- yes, I think the filler might be better sometimes… less cliff-hangy! Hehehehe!

janie- yes, they are acting dumb, but people often do dumb things when they are- in _loooove!_

Jade Straight- I still need to see Gone with the Wind, so I think I'll do that this week. But everyone I know says it's a classic!

Harry Potter- thank you very much! Don't worry, I'm still going!

karigan- thanks, and don't worry, the next one is coming a bunch quicker!

springroll27- yeah, I'm going to have to see it soon, too; I've always heard how awesome GwtW is.

allee kat- reading fanfiction always helps when I feel bad… hope you're doing better now!

dracos-baby-gurl- yeah, I hear that it's a tear jerker, too, but still a wonderful movie

Magical Mischief Maker no5- cute name! And thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

Silver Dragon Princess- I'll update sooner next time!

yoriko sakura-chan- I'll try to email you, but I make no promises! I have such bad term memory, I'm lucky if I remember to even check my email sometimes!

Yukito Forever- riiiiiiiiighht! Okay, then… thanks a bunch!

Please review, if you wouldn't mind, and let me know what you think, but no being mean! Save that for me… hehehe!)


	18. New Arrivals

Disclaimer- I didn't create all of the characters, as you very well know. Hermione, Percy, and the whole HP crew are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, and don't you forget it!

Early A/N- according to the great and wonderful **mel**, I wasn't wrong last chapter about Hermione's water not breaking. So take that!

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 18: New Arrivals

"W-what?" Percy asked in a strangled voice.

Hermione took a steadying breath. "The baby is coming," she repeated, clenching her fists at her sides. Percy jumped up, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, no, what do we do?!" he shrieked, pacing the floor. "I mean, what are we supposed to be doing!?!"

"Percy, come here!" Hermione said urgently; he was immediately beside her.

"What, Mione? Should I get you a towel? Or-" He was abruptly cut of as Hermione's open hand connected with his cheek. He shook his head, blinking heavily. "Thank you, Hermione, I needed that."

"Okay," she said, "Apparate to the Burrow and let your Mum know what's going on and tell her to inform everyone, then get your bum back here." Percy quickly obliged her wishes. Hermione pulled herself up from the couch and walked over to the closet, pulling out her suitcases and setting them on the floor. She then pulled her wand from her pocket and uttered the incantation to alert St. Mungo's of her imminent arrival.

Standing beside her bags she waited for Percy to return. It only took a moment, as he appeared within twenty more seconds.

"Alright, now what?" he questioned.

"Now we need to get to St. Mungo's. Grab my bags, please," she said, motioning to the luggage on the floor. They quickly moved to the fireplace, where they and the suitcases went through together. When they arrived at the hospital, there was already a nurse waiting with a wheelchair.

"Miss Granger?" she questioned. Hermione nodded, allowing Percy to help her sit down.

"And everything is taken care of already? All the paperwork, and such?" Percy asked. Hermione suddenly gripped the handles of the wheelchair and screwed up her face; Percy sank down beside her. "Hermione, what?"

"I'm having a contraction," she said, drawing in a breath, anticipating the worst. But then it stopped. "Oh, that wasn't so bad," she said, relaxing.

"Alright, Miss Granger, let's get you to your room," the nurse said. Hermione looked back at Percy to ensure he was there. She knew she'd be needing him very soon.

Within just a few minutes, Hermione was lying back on her starchy hospital sheets in her new hospital gown, in her rather large room, doing her best to stay calm. Percy was standing right beside her bed (he'd waited outside while the nurse had helped Hermione change), and they were awaiting the doctor.

"How are you doing?" he asked anxiously, a nervous smile on his face.

"Fine so far, I guess," she replied. At that moment, Amelia knocked on the door. The doctor was already in her white coat, a clipboard in her hand.

"How are you doing, Hermione?" she asked kindly, smiling brightly at the expectant parents.

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me," Hermione replied shrugging apologetically. She honestly had no idea how she was doing, how far along she was, any of those things.

Amelia chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll check you over now." She then proceeded to prepare herself with the examination gloves. "Now, about how far apart are your contractions?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Um, about every twenty minutes, I think."

"Okay, good, good," Amelia said, "Now, let me just check you out, here." After a few moments, she declared that Hermione was doing fine, and everything was proceeding as it should. "And there are some people waiting outside to see you, if you feel up to them. Just a few at a time, though."

"Oh, would you go send someone in?" Hermione asked of Percy.

"Sure," he replied, kissing Hermione on the forehead and walking to the door with Amelia. "I'll be right back, okay?" he said as he paused before he left the room. Hermione nodded, smoothing out the bed sheet covering her. And as promised, Percy returned after a moment, Harry and Ginny very close behind.

Ginny rushed to the bed, taking her hand. "Oh, Mione, how are you?" she asked sweetly.

"The doctor says I'm doing good, and it's really not that bad yet," she said, giving a weak smile. "Did you guys get a letter off to Ron and Draco?"

Harry shook his head. "I Apparated to their hotel a few minutes ago, but they didn't answer their door. I left them a message at the desk, though, and they'll get it as soon as they check for it."

"Okay, good," Hermione said. After a moment, Ginny stepped back beside Harry, and he put his arm around her shoulders. "So who all is- _oh_, Percy!"

He quickly rushed back to her bed. "What, Mione?"

"Another contraction," she said, reaching for his hand, "This one's worse than before."

"It's alright, just breathe through it," Percy said, squeezing her hand gently. Hermione did just that, and it passed quickly. "Do you need anything?"

"A damp washcloth, please," she said, motioning to the stack of linens on the counter.

"Oh, I'll get it," Ginny volunteered, quickly marching to the pile and dampening it in the small basin in the corner. She handed it to Percy, who proceeded to gently press it to her forehead. Hermione felt very grateful for the action, smiling up at Percy.

After a few moments of visiting, Harry and Ginny left, Molly and Arthur coming in, followed by Charlie and George. Fred, Bill and Fleur, and Ron and Draco had yet to show up.

As the time went along, the contractions began to get worse for Hermione, and they came more frequently. She knew she must have almost been breaking Percy's hand, but when those moments of pain came, she forgot all about his feelings, remembering that he was the reason she was in this whole bloody mess in the first place! But the entire time, crushed bones or not, he was being very sweet and caring, reminding Hermione (not in moments of intense pain) why she'd fallen for him.

In between contractions, Hermione remembered something very important that she and Percy had neglected to do thus far. "Percy," she said, turning to him, "We forgot something."

"What?" he asked nervously, "Do you need me to go back home for anything?"

"No," Hermione said with a small laugh, "We forgot to pick out godparents."

Percy looked thoughtful for a few moments, most likely going over the past few months in his mind. "We didn't, did we?" he asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "Now, it needs to be someone that we trust very much, that we know would take care of the baby if anything happened to both of us."

As Hermione thought, she watched Percy mouth several names, shaking his head after each. There were many choices, but Hermione knew she'd want someone in Percy's family. They were the most logical choices, after all. She knew Molly and Arthur would love to do it, but they had already raised seven children, and didn't need any more; this was the same reason Hermione had declined her parents. Ginny and Harry, while she trusted and loved them both, wouldn't be a great choice. They were young, and would probably start having children of their own soon. And Hermione knew that Ron and Draco both wanted to adopt a baby as soon as they could, and that also ruled them out, not to mention Bill and Fleur for the same reason. And Fred and George, while Hermione knew they would both love the child, they weren't the most responsible. Therefore the best choice would be Charlie.

Charlie was very good with children, Hermione knew. He had no plans to settle down and marry any time soon, but she also knew he would love to take care of a child. He had put out the idea of adopting a child to raise on his own before, but had decided against the plan when most of his family had disapproved. He was responsible and loving, very mature yet playful. Charlie would be a terrific choice.

Hermione then made up her mind. "Charlie," she said firmly.

"Charlie?" Percy asked, obviously trying to make sure Hermione was certain.

"Yes," she said, "I mean, he's obviously the best choice. He'd be terrific."

"Alright, then" Percy agreed.

"Go get him, will you?" Percy smiled and walked to the door, returning a moment later with his older brother.

"Hi, Hermione, how are you doing now?" he asked gently.

Hermione snorted. "Well, apart from the tremendous pain from the child fighting it's way out of my body, I'm terrific; how 'bout you?" Hermione glared at Percy as she saw him cover a laugh very quickly with a coughing fit.

"Poor thing," Charlie said sympathetically. "I can only imagine what you're going through." He patted her arm, exchanging a glance with Percy. "So, what did you need me for?"

"Well, Charlie," she said, "Percy and I wanted to ask you something. I mean, its totally fine if you want to say no, but think about it."

Percy took a deep breath. "Charlie, we want you to be the baby's godfather and legal guardian should anything happen to the two of us."

Hermione smiled sweetly at Charlie's awed expression. "Really?" he asked. "You guys would want me to do that?" Hermione and Percy both nodded, awaiting his answer; it didn't take long. "Of course I would! I'd love to."

"Thank you so much, Charlie," Hermione said happily, reaching her hands out to pull him into a hug. "You have no idea what this means to us."

"Yes, really, Charlie, thank you," Percy said.

"No problem, little brother," Charlie replied, reaching out and hugging him as well. There was then a knock on the door, and Amelia poked her head in.

"Sorry to break this up, but I need to examine the patient," she said apologetically. Charlie left the room with a last smile, and Amelia set to work on her task. "So, Hermione, are you going to be wanting the Pain-Relief Potion?"

Hermione shook her head. "Actually, I've decided that I'd rather not," she said, "I want to go through with natural bir-" Suddenly, she was hit with another contraction. She squeezed Percy's hand tightly, feeling the pain shooting through her. And when it subsided, she turned to the obstetrician. "Maybe I'd better have that potion."

******

Five hours later, seven hours into the labor, Hermione was _very _irritated. While the potion had helped with the pain, it couldn't catch it all. There was an intense pressure that Hermione felt the need to push against, she was sweaty and tired, and completely ready to have it over with so she could hold her baby in her arms, cry over it, and get some sleep.

Percy had been by her side the entire time, not saying one word about her moaning and complaining, or the constant pain she was now inflicting upon his hand. He was being absolutely terrific about it all, and Hermione felt grateful that he was the one beside her.

"How much longer is this going to take?" she asked, her voice filled with irritation.

"Probably not much longer, sweetie, you were pretty far along fifteen minutes ago," Percy said, once again dabbing a wash cloth on her forehead.

In another two minutes, Amelia was back. "Alright, let's just check you out again, Hermione," she said, lifting the sheet. When she looked back up a few moments later, she was smiling brightly. "You're at nine centimeters. It's time to go to the delivery room." She then signaled for the nurses to assist her in Levitating the bed.

"Percy," Hermione cried, "Don't you leave me!"

"I won't, Mione," he promised, squeezing her hand tighter, "I promise I'll be there with you." As they passed through the waiting room, Hermione saw the anxious faces of all of the Weasleys (minus Ron), Harry, Angelina, and Fleur, each of them looking on in nervous anticipation. "We're going to the delivery room!" Percy said brightly.

They entered the sterile white room a few moments later, where Hermione was transferred to the bed in the center of the room, Percy still by her side, holding her hand. She cried out as she was struck with another powerful contraction.

"Alright, Hermione," Amelia said as soon as she had prepared herself with surgical gloves and mask, already wearing a smock, "You'll need to need to push in just a moment. And Percy, you'll need to put one of these on." Hermione barely let go of Percy's hand long enough for him to put on the hospital gown; he immediately returned to her side.

"Can I push yet?" she asked wearily.

Amelia looked at the chart monitoring her progress, nodding as it indicated another contraction. "Alright, Hermione, push." She gripped Percy's hand tightly, pushing with all she had.

"Come on, Hermione, you're doing great," Percy said reassuringly. When the contraction ended, Amelia told Hermione to stop her activities.

"Now, remember, only push during a contraction," she said, patting Hermione's leg. "You are doing wonderful." Hermione simply nodded, to weak to talk.

Before long, Hermione had another contraction, followed by another, and another. "Come on, love, keep at it!" Percy said, grasping her hand between both of his. Amelia looked up at Hermione from her position at the end of the bed.

"Percy, would you like to take a look at this? The baby has crowned." Percy looked questioningly at Hermione, silently asking if she would mind him examining her so intimately. She simply shook her head, not willing to release his hand whether or not he'd need to move. Percy only extended his arm, still keeping his grip. When he looked up, his face was pure joy.

"Hermione, I can see its head!" he said excitedly, moving back to her side. "It's really coming!"

Mere seconds later, Amelia grinned. "Alright, Hermione, let's give it one more big push."

And Hermione did just that, a loud scream escaping her lungs, one that echoed all around the high-ceilinged room. "AGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!" Percy whimpered painfully at the force she exerted on his hand. When it was over, she collapsed against her pillows, her breathing ragged, body sweaty, and mind completely ready for sleep.

She looked up when she heard the first screeching cry of her newborn child. "It's a girl," Amelia announced, one of the nurses casting a Severing Charm on the umbilical cord and a Cleansing Charm to clean her while the other wrapped the baby in a soft pink blanket. Amelia then handed her the wrapped bundle, and Hermione felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She was completely energized in that moment.

She gently supported the head, taking in the fine mop of red curls on top. Her little body was so tiny and small. Hermione sensed that Percy was hovering very closely over her, but she was only looking down at her newborn baby girl. And after a moment, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the same chocolate brown eyes that Hermione had herself. The child calmed at the sight of her mother, her cries quieting slowly.

"She's beautiful…" Percy breathed, very slowly reaching a hand down and touching the soft hair.

"She sure is," Hermione agreed, a joyous laugh rising from her. She felt Percy gently kiss her cheek, the hand that wasn't still caressing the crimson locks of their daughter's hair reach up and wrap around her shoulders. Hermione leaned down and kissed her forehead very carefully.

Very cautiously, Amelia interrupted the tender moment. "And do we have a name for this little one?"

"Nicole Granger-Weasley," Percy replied, but Hermione shook her head in a sudden decision. "What, you don't like the name anymore?"

"No," she said quietly. Turning to the doctor, she amended Percy's statement. "Nicole Weasley."

Percy looked at her in shock. "Are- are you sure?"

"Very," Hermione replied, smiling down at her baby. "With hair like this, how could she be called anything else?"

******

(A/N- YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! Baby Nicole has arrived! Now, I'm going to apologize for the inaccuracy of the birthing stuff (as I _know_ that it was bad, as was most of the pregnancy stuff), as I have never gone through that stuff before. I get all of that info from Friends, other fics, and what I can get out of my mom.

Now, I know that there was some animosity towards the name Nicole, but I think it's sweet, and it has a special meaning to me, and it is my story, after all. I really hope that you guys like the little cutie in chapters to come, and that I get good reviews about her! And no, I didn't give her a middle name, after very much confusion on my part. So Little Nicky (heehee, that's one of my favorite movies) has NO middle name!

Alright, now I want to give a big thank you to everyone who gave their condolences about my dad. I mean, really, thank you so much! He had to have surgery yesterday morning, where he got a pacemaker and a defibulator put in (no, I don't know how to spell it!). He is doing fine, and he is back in his hospital room. He'll probably be getting out Monday!

****

POLL- alright, I have a couple of questions to ask you all. How many guys are reading this fic, if any? And who all is over sixteen? Twenty? Not to be nosy or anything, but I'm rather curious. I mean, I'm fifteen, and I'd really like to know!

To my terrific, awesome, great reviewers:

Sabby- Percy certainly doesn't loathe Hermione! No, I think you know what he was trying to say *grin*

Lulu-Chan- no, I promise I'm not mocking you! I only mock my sister, and that's just occasionally (my definition of occasional- every ten minutes) I know, I mean, if they have FILCH, they should definitely put in Ollie! And I'm not promising anything, but I might give in and work on a Percy/Oliver story for you NOT A PROMISE!!! I'll see what I can do about my first slash story, though.

Kazza- I know, didn't it seem a little omen-ie about that? I like omens, they ROCK!

sanguinans- Thanks a bunch! Did you like the baby? I hope so… And good, you must check out Thalia's stuff! And the new one she posted, Friendship and Brotherhood, is really good. I've read it over at FictionAlley Park's Herm/Percy Cookie Jar, and it's a gem!

Taryn- yes, I did have to do it! I'm evil! I mean, I'm extremely evil! Well, Quasi-evil, anyway. Semi-evil. I'm the Diet Coke of evil… just one calorie, not evil enough!

Loran- nah, the twins won't be _that_ mean. I mean, I know they teased Mione in the beginning about eating a lot, but they wouldn't do that… _plus_, Nicole is too cute!

summerthyme- no, no smell comments from Percy… it meant something really good *taps nose*

pippin- oh, yeah, I've created a new shippper! WOOHOO!!! Don't worry, I'm going to finish this one. And thanks, by the way.

takari4ever7- I know, I'd hoped for it too… wait, no I didn't. I'm evil! Hehehe

Skye Rocket- okay, so it wasn't THEN, but it took less time than the last chapter!

Lady Malfoy II- Yeah, my sister thought the same thing when she read it. She gave me the shifty eyes when I'd stopped there!

Elena Guidry- oh, what are you trying to get published? I'd love to get some of my poems published… well, I have, in one of those cheesy books where they say "You could be a winner!" and all that. I just can't wait for the day I have enough patience to sit down and finish a story that isn't fanfiction!

Mayhem- I know, it was ironic, huh? Almost an omen…

Sneezy Mouse- I know, I'm evil. But Hatorade is my favorite drink!

gohansfollower- I know how you feel! Right after I finished that chapter, I got a small case of writers block, and I couldn't get this one out. It was so infuriating!

Jade Straight- I know, he _could_ have finished it. But where's the evil in that?

Hermione Malfoy- yep, you only reviewed once… well, twice now. By the way, just let me say this: I HEART YOU MUCHO!!! And I'm being nice… so let's get to the snogging! I mean, if you'd let anyone snog, at least I'd know you were making progress! But that was meant in the nicest way, of course!

dracos-baby-gurl- yep, they were having another marriage discussion. I mean, parents'll be like that, right?

delila-malfoy- he ALMOST confessed something like that! And I'll try to check out your story tonight; I've been so busy!

PhoenixRae- oh, cruel, I haven't been called that one before! YESSSSS!!!! And luckily, I haven't had to babysit my sister lately… just my mom!

Clare- well wouldn't that be awkward? I mean, I don't think I'd be able to form too many coherent sentences if I was giving birth… I could be wrong, though.

janie- yeah, it had too! I mean, I can't be nice! I'm too evil!

Yukito Forever- WAH! No cutting with machetes! *Puts on anti-machete cutting suit* HA, you can't! was that fast enough?

Kori Bischoff- yes, it did, and it's a really good theory. I quite liked that explanation!

Gem Stone- there's more! Did you like it?

springroll27- BREATHE!!! PUT DOWN THE SUGAR!!! Hehe, just kidding! I know that feeling quite well! And I bet you do know what Percy's gonna say.

Hermione18- ugh, I hate it when my computer messes up! Thanks a whole bunch, too!

Lady of Werewolves- yep, I think she is- I haven't ever gone through pregnancy myself, but I know it's gotta be bad!

mel- YAY! I was technically correct! And I'm glad SOMEONE appreciates the latter value of how I ended the last chapter! Thanks a lot!

HPFFG- nope, Ron didn't… you'll see why next chapter, though.

Camden Elizabeth Stephano- I know, YAY for Nicole! I got so excited when I first wrote her, it was like all my hard work these past couple of months has finally paid off!

Cbsha- I'm really glad you like it! And I haven't personally ever seen a fic exactly like this one, or at least not a Percy/Hermione one, either. And let me just say, I have a new favorite word: absobloodylutely!

Marie Black- I know, wouldn't it have? I really love the whole Rachel/Ross/pregnancy thing on Friends, that was where I got lots of ideas for this fic!

kim- I know, I'm evil, and I'm proud! I have to leave you hanging every now and then, though!

SamGgirl- thanks! I know, sometimes I need a little break from Hermione/Ron, and a little Hermione/Percy (or Harry!) always takes care of it!

Chloe- see, I called you 'Chloe'! And my sister thought your review was hilarious *shakes fist at sister* In the fic, it is late February. Here, in Texas, it is now only eleven days till Christmas! YAY! I put my tree up today, and it's berry pretty!

joybear- yes, I believe we'd all like a Percy of our own! Heck, I'd take _any_ guy right now! And don't get fired cos of the story! *gives quiet squeal in joy at thought that people'd risk getting fired to get excited about story* Thanks a lot!

coolgirlchic16- nope, I couldn't have waited, that would have interfered with my evilness! And on the other part *hums innocently*

Silver Dragon Princess- oh, I know if that happened to me, I'd have killed! I mean, really, she loves the guy, he should hurry up with something!

ruffled owl- WHAT!?! You didn't know of Percy/Mione?! Well, glad that's rectified… you simply MUST go check out Thalia's fics; they are they best Percy/Hermione fics around! And I love your name!

Tabitha- oh, wow, thank you! I'm glad you like it! And I have to leave you hanging every now and then!

Now, thanks for reading the chapter, and please review, if you don't mind. I LOVE reviews! You guys are wonderful, and BTW, there are only about three chapies left!)


	19. Meet the Family

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own JK Rowling's characters, but I do claim Amelia and Nicole!

Early A/N- yes, I know I promised I'd never ever make you guys wait for a chapter more than six days, but I've had some real bad problems with my parents, and I haven't had a chance… and last time I tried to do it, fanfiction.net kept messing up and wouldn't let me! So don't blame me!

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 19: Meet the Family

In just over an hour, Hermione was back in her room in the hospital, the starchy sheets covering her. Percy was sitting nearby, and they were both gazing down lovingly at their daughter. Their _daughter_! Hermione was still completely awed by the fact that she and Percy had created life, and were now responsible for her entire being. While a scary thought, it was absolutely terrific. She hadn't been able to quite believe it before, even when she'd gained all the weight and had her belly poking out, but this was just _real_.

"Alright," Amelia said as she walked into the room for probably the twentieth time in just as many minutes, "I think, if you're up to it, you can have some guests now. " Amelia left the room once again, but Hermione knew she'd be back very soon.

"You want me to go get somebody?" Percy asked.

"Go get your Mum and Dad," Hermione replied, "They'll want to meet their granddaughter." Percy took one last look at his daughter, kissing the top of Hermione's head before he left the room. She knew, in just the way he looked at Nicole, that he would be a wonderful father, and would do everything he could to take care of her. Hermione couldn't have asked for a better man to be the father.

He returned a few moments later with Molly and Arthur. Molly immediately headed to the bed, and Hermione handed Nicole to her.

"Oh, my," she breathed reverently. Arthur stood behind her, looking at the small child over his wife's shoulder. "What is her name?"

"Nicole," Hermione replied softly.

"She is beautiful," Arthur said to Percy and Hermione, who were both beaming proudly. Molly had tears in her eyes as she watched her sleeping granddaughter. After a moment, Arthur spoke again. "Alright, kids, we're going to let someone else have a turn now. You both probably want to get some sleep, and you've got a _lot _of people to see before you get to do that." Molly gently handed Nicole back to Hermione, and the young girl's slumber wasn't disturbed.

Next came Bill, Fleur, and Charlie. "This is Nicole, huh?" Charlie asked as he gently cradled his niece and goddaughter.

"Yep," Percy replied.

"She is so gorgeous!" Fleur gushed. (A/N- remember back in chapter nine, how I said I don't do accents? That still stands…)

"She is," Bill added. Charlie then handed Nicole over to his older brother, moving to Hermione and hugging her tightly.

"Congratulations, you guys," he said, moving over and hugging Percy as well.

Bill cocked his head to the side. "Hey, she kinda looks like you, Perce."

"Oh, God, I hope not," he replied, shaking his head. The group laughed, and before long, Bill, Fleur, and Charlie left, to be replaced by Fred and George, who came in bearing a rather large box of sweets and several floating balloons in colors of pink and yellow.

Noticing the way Hermione and Percy were eyeing the candies, George shook his head. "No, we didn't do anything to them. We just got them in the gift shop, right Fred?"

"Yeah, we've decided to wait a few days before we start giving you the Ton-Tongue Toffees again," Fred agreed with a smile.

"Alright, now, be careful, and support her head," Percy said worriedly as he handed Nicole over to George.

"Don't worry," George said, "I've got her."

Fred looked completely surprised by her, as if he'd never seen something quite the same. "She's so little!" he said, gently touching her tiny fingers. "I mean, I know babies area all supposed to be small, but it never ceases to amaze me."

Suddenly, Hermione remembered something. "Say, Fred, where's Angelina?"

"Oh, she got called in to an unavoidable emergency at work. She said she'd be back as soon as she could be. Really wants to meet this one, she does."

"And her name is Nicole?" George asked softly. Hermione and Percy nodded. "Well, little one," he said to Nicole, "When you get a bit bigger, you're Uncle Fred and I are going to teach you _all _about practical jokes."

"You most certainly will not!" Percy said indignantly.

"Oh, I'm only joking!" George said as Hermione took Nicole back. They left after a moment more, and Harry and Ginny made their way inside, each of them holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

As they set them down on overlarge windowsill, Harry asked, "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"Well, I've just had my body literally ripped open, but I'm really doing rather good. Those doctors and pain relief specialists here are really doing their jobs."

Percy grinned. "Yes, they did a wonder on my hand, as well." Hermione looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were squeezing my hand, you kinda pulled one of my fingers out of the socket," Percy explained. Hermione blushed, but she was smiling.

"Sorry 'bout that," she said, looking over to Ginny. "Do you want to hold Nicole?"

"Can I?" she asked excitedly. Hermione nodded, arranging Nicole in Ginny's arms very carefully. "What color are her eyes?"

"Brown, just like Mione's," Percy said, bestowing a warm smile to Hermione. She returned it, taking his hand (not the one she'd held during labor), feeling very loved. After a moment, Ginny handed Nicole to Harry, who watched her happily.

"She is absolutely adorable," he said, admiring her red curls. Suddenly, the door was opened very quickly, Ron and Draco stepping in.

"Hermione!" Ron said, rushing to her side, "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry we're late!" Draco had stopped the moment he noticed the bundle in Harry's arms. "Wait, where's the baby?" Ron quickly spun around to find his best friend cradling his niece.

"Would you mind if I held her, Hermione?" Draco asked softly.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but be very careful with her." Harry gently handed Nicole over to Draco, and Hermione noticed something very strange. At the angle the light was hitting the blonde man's hand, a gold something was glinting. When a suspicion took place in Hermione's mind, she looked more closely, trying to decipher if it was what she thought.

"She's so beautiful," Ron said as he watched Draco hold the baby. Hermione then noticed the same flash coming from Ron's hand.

"Freeze!" she ordered. Draco's head snapped up.

"What, am I doing something wrong?" he asked nervously, "Am I not supporting her head enough?"

"Come here," Hermione said, waving him over. Draco very slowly walked over. "Percy, take Nicole for a moment," she added. As soon as the baby was safely out of Draco's arms, she wrenched his left hand towards her, a gasp coming from her. "Did you…?" she asked in wonder.

"Yes," Ron said quietly, both men blushing furiously.

"What?" Ginny asked, hers, Harry's, and Percy's eyes all looking back and forth between Ron, Draco, and Hermione.

"You did?" Hermione asked excitedly. Draco nodded. "Oh, come here!" she said, pulling Draco into a hug, Ron coming over and receiving the next one. "I can't believe you guys did that!"

"Did what?" Harry demanded. Draco took Ron's hand as they turned to the other occupants of the room.

"Well, while we were in Greece, Ron and I talked about doing something we'd been discussing for a while, and we decided just to go through with it." Draco held up his hand, as did Ron.

"We got married," Ron said, smiling madly.

Harry, Ginny, and Percy all looked shocked. "You did?!" Percy questioned, his shocked expression soon turning to a smile.

"Without your best man?" Harry asked Ron, a fake hurt expression on his face.

"Oh, come on, Harry!" the redhead replied, "We just decided to get it over and done with. We're going to have another ceremony in a couple of months, with all of our family and friends."

"Well, fine," Harry said, pretending to be offended. Ron simply pulled him into a hug, to which Harry had to respond.

"That is so great!" Ginny gushed, "I'm really happy for you."

Ron smiled. "Thank you," he said, moving to his brother, "But can I hold my niece now?"

"Sure thing, little brother," Percy replied, carefully handing his daughter to Ron, who looked at her like she was the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen.

"Whoa," he said quietly. Hermione could see the tears already forming. "She's so great." And with that, Nicole's chocolate eyes slowly opened, looking at Ron happily before sliding back off into sleep. He sniffled as he handed her back to her mother, looking very grateful at the arm Draco slid around his shoulders.

Harry cleared his throat. "Why don't we let these three get a bit of rest right now?" he suggested.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "We'll be back later, okay?" Hermione and Percy both nodded, watching as the four left the room. Percy gently took Nicole from Hermione and set her down in her little bed, covering her with the soft blanket that was lying beside her.

"Now, you get some sleep, okay Hermione?" Percy half- questioned, half- stated. Hermione simply nodded, letting out a rather large yawn as she settled herself back onto her bed. Percy brought the covers up to her shoulders, a huge grin on his face. "You did it, Mione," he breathed, placing a warm kiss on her forehead.

"No, Percy," she said, "_We _did it. I couldn't have made it through all this without you." Percy's smile widened, and he leaned down and hugged Hermione tightly.

When he pulled back, he kissed both of Hermione's cheeks. "_Now_ get some sleep." Hermione nodded, watching as Percy did his best to arrange his long legs on the small couch in the corner. He looked absolutely silly, but Hermione could feel her heart hammer in her chest at the sight. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Night, Percy," she replied, slowly drifting off into sound slumber.

******

(A/N- aww! Such a sweet chapter! And I know that gay marriages aren't generally allowed, so here is my take on that: in the Wizarding world, gay marriages are completely legal, in any country, as long as they do it in the magical world. So that is how they can get married! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as it was a doozy for me to write. Far too many characters to decipher the responses of at once! Still, I did have that Ron/Draco thing in mind for quite a while, and I had to put it in!

Okay, thanks go to everyone who answered my survey! I was really surprised to see how many people out there were in their twenties and even thirties… that's just really cool to me, because so many people that are that much more mature than I am think I'm a good writer! It's crazy!

Now, I know you all probably want to yell at me about the lateness of the chapter. I really couldn't help it, though! My family does have to come first over fanfics, and I've needed to be with them for a few days. Sorry it took so long, but really, it couldn't be helped!

For the reviewers, without whom this fic wouldn't exist:

Taryn- yes, I do watch too much Austin Powers. But I've only seen the new one ONE TIME!!! Must watch more Goldmember…

NaturallySpazic- Thank you! I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far!

Tara- yes, they really do need to get together soon… thanks a bunch!

arcee- ahh, thanks for the info on the cravings! One day I'll get all that straight!

gohansfollower- doesn't she sound sweet? And I guess you know where Ron and Draco were…

Grytherin14- aww, thanks *blush* I'm really glad you like it! And I really like your penname, it's very original

Lyly- one of the best on fanfiction.net? I'm flattered! Thank you very much!

Lulu-Chan- oh, no, no heart-attacks over the mocking subject… And to what I think will be your great pleasure, I have decided to give in. Yes, that's right, I'm working on some slash! Percy/Oliver, too. But I'm not promising that it'll be out soon! You'll just have to keep checking for it…

delila-malfoy- wah! Did the birth really get you a bit nervous? I don't think it was any good, but maybe that's just me; I don't think I write anything good!

yoriko sakura-chan- Nope, there isn't any Granger in Nicole's name. Don't really know where I got the idea for that, but it seemed like the right thing to do!

Allison Lane- thanks very much! I seem to have lots of 19 year olds reading this

Rain- yay, another fifteen year old! I love fifteen year olds (being one myself…) I'm really glad you like it, and I'd have to agree with you: Hermione and Percy are rather silly!

kazza- woo hoo, thank you! I'm really glad you thought the birth scene was okay *whew!*

Skye Rocket- warm and fuzzy feelings are the best, huh?

HPFFG- Yay! I'm really glad that you do like the name Nicole. And yes, it was sad Ron wasn't there, but now you know the reason…

dracos-baby-gurl- Hmm, maybe… I s'pose you'll just have to wait and find out!

Loran- yes, it does suck a bit to be you, doesn't it? I'm immensely happy that you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!

Laureen 'The Edge' Lycan- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Did you have a good one?

Thalia- yes, Mione and Percy really should hurry along now… But the wait _is_ almost over!

Elena Guidry- oh, thank you! You seem pretty cool, too! And I'll try to email you in just a bit, but due to the fact that my sister is an evil… well, she's pretty evil, I might not get to

sanguinans- thanks a bunch! And I'm glad you weren't shocked in a bad way about Charlie being God-daddy!

FairLady- don't worry, I'm going to finish it! And again, I'm sorry it took so long to get it posted!

Kim- aww, thanks! Glad you liked Nicole!

Clare- Wow, was the labor really alright? I believe I'll trust you on that… And yes, I think I'd probably want my mom there when I have a baby- did I say why her parents couldn't be there? I can't remember at the moment, and I'm too lazy to spend thirty whole seconds looking it up…

Lady Malfoy II- thanks! Well, quite obviously, they didn't figure it out in nineteen. And if there are only two to go, and I've drawn this all out quite enough, and I must have a happy ending… well, you figure it out!

PhoenixRae- nah, cruel and evil weren't harsh, I quite enjoyed being called that- nobody takes me seriously when I say I'm evil… and we always need things to happen at just the right moment!

summerthyme- glad you think it's all sweet… and yes, Percy really does need to speed things up, huh?

ruffled owl- hmm, I'm not saying anything… And I still think your name is wonderful! "…and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl…" Woo hoo!

Silver Dragon Princess- alright, one… two… three… AWWWWW! Heehee! Guys don't have any sense, though. I mean, really!

Rebecca Anne- I love Charlie too! And thank you very much!

Mayhem- yes, I believe little Nicole might have to take Divination one day… That is if she doesn't take after her parents TOO much- I see both Percy and Hermione (alright, so we already knew that one) as being very skeptical about the subject.

nimacu- thanks! It's kinda cool that I have someone named Nicole reading about my Nicole… woah!

takari4ever7- I know, we could really do with some romance right about now…

Jade Straight- oh, you could have to deal with a bit of mushyness… I'm like that! And on the whole 'Mione screaming at Percy during labor' thing, I have a few tricks left up my sleeve!

allee kat- YAY, another Little Nicky fan! I haven't seen that movie in a couple of months, I really should rent it… And what is your story going to be about? I wouldn't rely too heavily on getting the pregnancy info from me, I'm not the best source- all my stuff still comes from TV and other fanfics!

SamGgirl- thank you very much!

Kori Bischoff- I know, we really need a bit of action… okay, so I'm a fluff adict! Thanks, by the way!

Marie Black- oh, yeah, the Rachel/Ross thing gets on my nerves at times… the first few times, the 'We were on a break!' line really cracked me up, but after hearing it twenty billion times…

Alli-Baby- yes, Fanfic!Percy and Hermione are adorable, but Cannon!Ron and Hermione are great! And I'm glad you like it!

Ambiepony- oh, I can't blame you for wanting to read fanfics instead of doing school work; fanfiction is much more interesting! Thanks very much!

Sapphire- oh, thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Freak like me- oh, thanks for the idea- the Ron thing could be cute! But I just might be a bit busy with something else…

Hermione18- thanks! And I figured that you were a girl (or else a VERY strange boy… j/k!)

Krazy Westie- wow, you haven't seen any Percy/Mione before? You MUST go check out Thalia's stuff, it's all really good!

Patsy- thanks a bunch! I hope you enjoyed this one!

Sneezy Mouse- alright, I know it took me a while to update, but when are you planning on it, hmm? I've been waiting quite a while for the next chapter of your new fic…

SilverMoon- Don't worry, more is on the way! And it should be here before the new year!

joybear- yeah, I borrowed that line from Friends; ever since I first started this fic, I wanted to incorporate that line! And I haven't gotten to watch much Friends lately either; they took the reruns off of the ten o' clock spot, and now the only time I get to see it is when the do the new episodes!

Mage O'Dell- oh, thank you! I'm really glad you like my story, and I ALWAYS LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE ADD ME TO THEIR FAVORITES (*HINT HINT*) hehe, sorry bout that!

Dragon Charmer- I'm glad you think Nicole suits the baby; I think it does

springroll27- yes, it is a shame there are only a couple left… I'll really miss it! But don't worry, that's not the last of me!

No-name reviewer- yes, I do update slowly, huh? Sorry bout that…

mel- oh, naming gets better… um, I'm not going to say anymore… *gulps, looks around nervously* Thanks a bunch!

TReader- thanks! I'm glad you like the name Nicole!

Maren- slash stories are gay pairings (you know, male/male) And wow, you're Norwegian? That is so cool! Thank you very much, by the way!

Yukito Forever- um, right… thank you, though!

Camden Elizabeth Stephano- oh, don't worry, I've got 'em coming! I won't be stopped any time soon! And I've got my fingers crossed for you getting your guitar (I got one for my birthday last year!)

Queen of the Jungle- oh, I'm not knocking naked babies! My sister was one! I think naked babies are adorable! And I'm not sure, I think that middle names are SO overrated… I think I'm still just bitter over my own…

Silver Serpent- yes, Hermione and Percy really are good. And I had to do Ron/Draco to have Draco in the story. I mean, Ginny's with Harry, so she couldn't have dated Draco… unless I put Ron and Harry together… I'm sorry, I don't like using too many characters! 

Now, I really enjoyed it, and I have to put a damper on it: only two chapters to go! Love you all! Happy Holidays!)


	20. The Consequences of Alcohol and Depressi...

Disclaimer- You know, I really can't come up with anything witty to say here. So, let me just say, I don't own it, and you should know that by now.

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The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 20: The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Hermione had really wished that she could have slept late in the morning, but it was not to be done. Nicole had woken her up after only about four hours of sleep, demanding to be fed. But even though sleep was definitely a good thing, it was still a symbolic treasure to watch her child drink her fill. And while Percy had left the room the first time, looking away the second time, he (not to mention Hermione) had felt much more comfortable with breast-feeding after it had occurred a few more times. He'd even been able to watch the beautiful scene around the fourth time, and that surprised Hermione. She was a very modest person, but having Percy watch the private act wasn't at all embarrassing.

Hermione knew how exhausted he was. He had been up even longer than she had, after all. Hermione watched as Percy's head drooped down once again, and she knew he was struggling to stay awake.

"Percy?" she called. Immediately he looked up, running a hand through his already messy hair.

"I was just resting my eyes for a moment," he explained.

"Percy, why don't you go home and get some sleep?" Hermione suggested.

Percy shook his head rapidly. "No!" he argued, "I'm fine! I don't need any sleep."

"Oh, come on, Perce, you're about to drop!" she said. "Just go get a few hours sleep, and then you can come right back."

"No, I don't need it," he said firmly, standing up to prove his point; the corresponding swoon proved Hermione's instead.

Hermione sighed. "Well, why don't you go get some lunch, then? You haven't eaten in quite a while." When a rather audible growl was heard from Percy's stomach, Hermione knew he'd agree to at least that. Even she had gotten to eat breakfast.

"Well, maybe…" he said, looking to the door. "But I don't want to leave you alone."

"Send in Ron and Harry, then," Hermione said, "Just go, Percy, and I don't want to see you back here for another hour."

"Half hour," he haggled.

"Fifty minutes."

"Forty-five."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, forty-five minutes. But it doesn't start till Ron and Harry are here!"

"Agreed." Hermione pointed to the door firmly, and Percy chuckled. He kissed her forehead before he left the room, Ron and Harry arriving a few moments later, smiling at the sleeping Nicole. Ron took up Percy's abandoned seat on the sofa while Harry sat in the rather hard chair beside the bed. Both were beaming at her.

"What?" she asked, watching the two men suspiciously.

Ron grinned. "It's just weird to think about all of this. Great, but weird."

"How so?"

"Well, Ron and I were talking about this a few minutes ago," Harry said, "I mean, think about it. I'm engaged, Ron's married, and you've just had a baby. It's just so strange to think about."

Hermione smirked. "It is, isn't it? We've all three really grown up."

"Now _that's _a scary thought!" Ron said. "Who would've imagined us here six years ago?"

"I sure wouldn't have," Hermione said. "I mean, at seventeen, I pictured that I'd be a writer, have a steady boyfriend, and that I'd be living with you guys."

"Whatever happened to those plans?" Ron questioned.

"What happened to them?" Harry repeated incredulously. "You went and moved in with Draco a week after we graduated!"

"And Harry and I couldn't find a place cheap enough for the two of us to live on my Ministry Intern and his Reserve Seeker salaries, so Harry stayed with Sirius and I moved into that cheap one-bedroom till Ginny graduated," Hermione said.

"Oh, right!" Ron said, grinning. "Good times, those were."

"Yeah, because you and Draco were staying in Malfoy Manor!" Hermione said indignantly. "You had it great, living in that mansion." Ron simply smiled brighter.

"Like you lived in such poverty," Ron shot back, "Your _parents _paid for your rent and bills and food. You got to _save _your money up to get a nicer place."

Harry scoffed. "Ron, you guys couldn't save up because you spent every Knut you both earned on racing brooms."

"Oh, that doesn't matter!" he argued. Hermione chuckled, feeling the nostalgia of the discussion washing over her. Just like old times at Hogwarts, with not a care in the world.

"You know," she said, "It's times like these when I really feel like we're still kids. I love you both so much."

Ron sighed happily. "I love you guys, too."

"And I love you both, as well," Harry replied. Hermione held her arms open, and the three best friends shared a rather large, funny looking hug.

"I don't know what I would've done with out you guys for the past eleven years," Hermione said, shaking her head with a sad smile. "You've helped me through so much."

Harry smirked. "We try," he said smugly; Hermione slugged him on the shoulder.

"Man, talk about arrogance," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Draco would be so proud of you right now."

******

Hermione had fallen asleep just after Percy had arrived back from his lunch break. He had tried to sneak in ten minutes early, but Hermione had gotten Ron to bar the door, a trick he used when he took criminals in to the Ministry. She had even kept him out for the full hour she had wanted. While Hermione appreciated everything that he was doing, he needed a break every now and then.

As tired as she was, Hermione only slept for a good hour. When she awoke, a very soft sound could be heard in the room. She opened her eyes just a tiny bit, feeling an outpouring of emotion at the sight. Percy was standing near Nicole's crib and holding the tiny bundle that was their daughter, rocking her gently. He was murmuring a soft lullaby, and Nicole seemed to be very relaxed. While he didn't have the best voice, Hermione loved the melody anyway.

She watched as Percy continued singing, Nicole falling asleep as the quiet song soothed her. He gently set her down in her crib and pulled up her soft yellow blanket. Molly had taken the trip to their flat, gathering a few of the new baby things for Nicole.

Percy turned around after a moment, barely catching Hermione watching him. "Did you, er, hear that just now?" he asked nervously.

Hermione nodded. "I thought it was sweet," she said, waving him over. 

Percy sat down on the bed beside her, softly stroking her arm. "How are you feeling now?" he asked gently.

She searched for a sarcastic comment to make, but when she looked up into Percy's deep blue eyes, seeing how much care and concern were present, she decided against it. Well, that, and the fact that she had already made pretty much all of them already and didn't want to be repetitive. "I'm starting to feel better," she said instead, giving him a lopsided smile.

"I'm really glad," he replied in a whisper.

Hermione frowned, trying to remember something that had been bugging her for a while. When Harry and Ron had been with her, she'd had a vague memory of… something, but she couldn't remember just what. When Percy smiled, a familiar, sad smile, it hit her.

"Say, Percy, what was it you were trying to tell me just before I went into labor?" she asked, raising herself into a sitting position on the bed.

Percy looked positively nervous at the question. "Oh, that… um, well, maybe it should just wait."

"No, go on," Hermione insisted, taking his hand in hers.

"I- I think we should wait a couple of days on this, till we get home, you know," he said, looking anywhere but at Hermione. His entire face was _very _red.

"Percy," she said firmly, "Tell me." He sighed, giving a small nod.

"Okay," he said. He turned to face Hermione, holding her hand tightly. "Now, like I said, if you remember, this is just so hard for me to tell you. I'd hoped to get it all over and done with at once, but I guess it just couldn't happen that way." He smiled, sadly still. "Now, I told you that you are really special to me, and you really are. But, as more than just my best friend."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, wondering what he was talking about. She had an idea, one that spread a warm feeling through her, but Hermione didn't think it possible. There was just no way… "What do you mean, Percy?" Hermione held her breath as she waited for an answer.

Percy looked down at the blanket for a long moment, taking a deep breath as he looked up, his blue eyes meeting her brown. "Hermione, I love you." Hermione slowly exhaled.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked tentatively.

"I mean," he said, "that I love you. But not just as my friend, even though I _do_ love you like that, as well. I mean that I'm _in _love with you." Sighing, Percy continued. "I'm really sorry. I know how insanely awkward this is going to make things between us, but I understand that you don't have feelings for me. I'm just fine with that. We can just go on as we have been, and I won't ever mention this again. But I had to get this off my chest, and tell you. I just had to let you know."

As he spoke, Hermione felt the tears stinging her eyes. She had never thought that Percy could have felt that about her. In the entire time she had been falling in love with him, feeling so awful about it, he'd felt the same way. Hermione let out a choked sob, raising a hand to her eyes.

"Oh, see, I knew I shouldn't have told you!" he said, "I mean, I've gone and upset you now. I am so sorry, Mione, please don't cry." Hermione simply shook her head, willing her tears to stop, or at least slow down so she could explain.

"No, Percy," she said, raising a hand to his face, slowly stroking his cheek, "That's not it; you don't understand."

"Oh, what's there to understand? You're crying because I told you that I love you, and I've gone and ruined everything," he said, giving a small sigh and looking at the blanket. Hermione simply smiled.

"There is a lot to understand," she said, making Percy look up. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione cut him off. "Percy, I…"

Percy raised an eyebrow, his mouth open in shock. "Hermione, what?" he asked urgently.

Hermione steadied herself, but she couldn't get her voice above a whisper. "I love you, too." She closed her eyes tightly to block the tears, but she knew it wasn't to be. Her hormones were going wild, and she was going to cry if she liked it or not.

"Y- you love me?" Percy asked shakily. Hermione nodded softly, completely unsure of what else to do at that moment. She felt Percy's hands lift to her face, his fingers gently wiping away her tears. "Please don't cry, Hermione," he repeated.

Hermione chuckled. "I can't help it," she replied. She felt Percy's thumbs stroking her cheeks, and she realized she still had a hand on his face. A sudden impulse hitting her, she slowly moved forward. Percy's eyes widened for a moment before he, too, inched forward. Hermione's eyelids slid shut just instants before she felt the returned pressure of Percy's lips on her own.

The kiss was very light and gentle, but Hermione's heart burst with happiness. Percy loved her! He was kissing her! Hermione's tears fell even more, but she could have cared less about that.

When Percy pulled back a few moments later, he smiled hugely. "I love you so much," he said.

"I love you too," Hermione replied, "More than you'll ever know." She raised her other hand up to his face and pulled him down into another, deeper kiss, feeling the love flowing between the two of them. She moved her hands again, putting them around Percy's neck while he slid his down to rest lightly on her waist, the kiss deepening. But suddenly, a shrill cry came from the bassinet. Hermione and Percy broke apart, breathing heavily, looking over to their now-awake daughter.

Percy gave a small chuckle, moving over and lifting Nicole from her bed. "I think she's hungry," he said, placing her in Hermione's arms. She nodded and began to feed the child, smiling warmly.

As Nicole began to slow down her drinking several minutes later, signaling that she was almost full, Hermione shook her head. "You know, its funny to think that these are all just the consequences of alcohol and depression."

Percy nestled himself down on the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'd say they're pretty good consequences, wouldn't you?"

"You got that right," Hermione agreed.

******

(A/N- oh, yay, the happy confessions! FLUFF ALERT! Isn't it grand? I'm all happy now! Um, yeah… Anyway, I realize that it's a little uncreative to title the _chapter _the Consequences of Alcohol and Depression, but seeing as it was the pinnacle of all the consequences, I'm leaving it!

And, once again, the chapter was late. I know, I know. But I was planning on posting, like, two days ago, and FF.net wouldn't work. And I hadn't felt like posting two before that because I was really rather depressed. I'd just gotten the news that my grandfather had died, and I really didn't feel like it. I attended his funeral today, but I'm alright now. I'm getting over it. So if you feel like flaming for the lateness of the chapter, I'm using my deflector ray and you're going to get nice and charred!

Now to my Uber-cool reviewers:

FairLady- well, you got the romance! Did you like it?

Lulu-Chan- I know, I had an immense amount of reviews for chapter 19; like, fifty! And I've started on the _Percy/Oliver _story (just to remind you that it's the slash you asked for!). No promises when that'll be out, though.

Silver Moon Serpent- oh, no, I love Herm/Draco fics! Some of my favorites have been Draco and Hermione! I think I'll go check yours out next chance I get

fang-gurlie- yes, it is definitely not a good idea to slap the monitor! I've done it before, and it is not too comfy… j/k!

XxSleepyGirlxX- wow, addicting? That's great! Well, maybe not so much great… *gulp* Um, never mind… thanks!

Loran- man, I need to see Two Towers again… I've only gone once! But with my family's evil health problems, I haven't had a chance *runs to theater, regardless of her grandma's yelling* Hehehe…

wiccianwolf- oh, wow, you cried? I'm flattered! Thanks a bunch (and thanks to your Mom!)

delila-malfoy- oh, Nicole cries, but I didn't write about it. I mean, sure, she's the reason for the fic, but I'd rather leave out the messy, fussy baby parts… for now

melanija- it should be interesting, but I won't say anymore… you'll just have to wait a few days!

snickerdoodle- oh, thank you! And power to the Fluffy- Romance Addicts! *hands out power bars*

Mayhem- YEAH! That could work! Fleur just lost her accent… Anyway, thanks a bunch!

dracos-baby-gurl- I'll try to go check out your fics ASAP! And I'm glad that you don't think slash is bad anymore. I didn't really like it too much before I started writing CoAaD, but now, I think it's alright

Rebecca Anne- thank you! Glad you like the Ron/Draco part!

Maren- oh, a Mary-Sue is a character based on the author, or an original character that is a complete copy of a real person. And I am from Texas, here in the south US.

PhoenixRae- exactly, I enjoy getting the proper reactions! Thanks a bunch!

Sneezy Mouse- yes, that's it! Fleur's just grown out of it! And I can't remember exactly what I'd had planned, but I believe that she and Bill have been together for… seven years, I think. Oh well *shrug* And I really enjoyed the new chapter! Let's just get to the next one… just kidding, take your time!

takari4ever7- no, Nicole doesn't have a godmother… yet. I haven't decided, but I don't know if she will. Kind of odd, I know, but hey, it works for me!

gohansfollower- NOOOOO! Don't eat the baby! Hehe, just kidding! Oh, and I believe it's spelled suspicions (ah, the joys of spell check!) BTW, was it soon enough? Probably not…

pippin- well, you know, you've got to have mush! I mean, without mush, there's only… well, non-mush! Thanks, by the way!

ruffled owl- thanks a lot! Yes, much must come before fanfics, and my evil family just won't leave me alone…

Jasini- have you stopped dying now? I do hope so… Did you like it?

springroll27- thanks! And you get thanks from all of the characters, too!

sanguinans- oh, don't worry, you haven't heard the last of me! Believe me, I've still got a lot up my sleeve!

Taryn- sarcasm noted! But your 'patience' *snort* did pay off!

allee kat- oh, the laziness excuse is still one of my most usual ones, but I really have had lots of plausible reasons for not updating! And your story sounds really good! You'll have to let me know if you get it posted!

Freak like me- oh, thank you very much! Glad you like Draco!

Tara- well, it wasn't really soon, but at least it wasn't two weeks!

HPFFG- what are the gross images of which you speak? …on second thought, I don't want to know…

Yukito Forever- oh, I might just have to whack my computer with a machete, too! *whacks computer with own machete* Ahh, that's better!

yoriko sakura-chan- Granger isn't in Nicole's name because… well, I don't really know, but it seems sweet to me! Thanks!

pamela_potter_24- yeah, the magical baby explanation is what I'm using… it just seemed like the baby should have had Hermione's eyes for the moment, you know?

Clare- thanks! And I understand you not liking the whole Ron/Draco issue, those are your beliefs, and I wouldn't try to change them, or anyone's for that matter.

Elena Guidry- oh yeah, Nicole's gonna be like her parents… but not totally… um, I'm not saying anymore there…

Skye Rocket- thanks! And there, all your rooting paid off!

Alli-Baby- ha, feelings have been realized! YAYAYAY! Sorry, but I'm still happy that it finally got worked out! Thanks!

padfoots girl- thanks! The next one, I hope, will be out sooner!

carleen- thanks a bunch!

Silver Dragon Princess- yep, Nicole's got her dad's hair and her mom's eyes… so sweet *sigh* And I think I'll join you: "AWWWWWW!"

Grytherin14- oh, very good combination there! My sister had the exact same thing happen to her, but she decided she was a Slytherin anyway… And this story had only one chapter left, so not too far!

Hermione18- thanks a lot! And yes, family must come before everything, and I think I have way too much family!

Philyra- thanks for both reviews! And no, I wouldn't have Draco looking like an angel… he's too much of a bad boy for that!

hasapi- …wow… You must be the first (and only, probably) reviewer to review each and every chapter of CoAaD at once. Thank you so much! I mean, it really means a lot that you'd take your time to do that! And maybe a good word to describe Ron and Draco getting married would be… oh, what about adorably rugged? Yeah, maybe not…

Kirelee- rats, you caught me! Yeah, I guess I kinda own Chelsea… if I must. Really, as much as I didn't like her whole place in the story, I do claim her as my own original character, and thanks for catching that slip-up in the disclaimer!

joybear- yes, there you go, romance (fluff!). Did you like it?

kazza- well, as long as it's not saccharine sweet. I mean, that stuff can give you cancer! Hehehe… thanks a bunch!

Lady Lynet ep Evyn- thank you very much! Glad you think it isn't too far OOC

Sarah-Anna- oh, black hair is cool! I wish I had black hair… or red… or even blue! Okay, I like my brown hair, but I still think black would be niftier.

Now, just one chapter left! I know, very sad, and all that. But at least we'll get to have the happy ending!)


	21. Epilogue

Disclaimer- Nope, I still don't own it. Don't think I ever will, either… *sigh*

****

The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 21: Epilogue

Mrs. Hermione Weasley stirred from her slumber as she felt a large hand softly stroking her once again pregnant stomach. She lazily stretched, snuggling closer to the warm body that was pressed against her back.

"Morning, love." Hermione slowly opened her eyes, a red blur hovering above her. As her vision focused, she rolled onto her back and smiled at her husband.

"Morning, Percy," she replied sleepily.

"And how are we today?" he asked cheerily, gently drumming his fingers on her belly.

"We're fine," she told him in a saccharine sweet voice, raising a hand to cup his cheek, the ginger stubble tickling her palm. Percy lowered his head slowly, capturing Hermione's lips in a very through kiss.

Their wedding had been a beautiful affair. It had taken place sixteen months after Nicole was born. Hermione had chosen to wear a Muggle gown, like Ginny had, and she'd looked spectacular. Five months after that, Hermione and Percy had been given terrific news: Hermione had gotten pregnant again! Six months after, she'd delivered two healthy babies, twins Cassandra and Michael.

Hermione was quite enjoying motherhood. Nicole was now four, and Cassandra and Michael were in their 'terrible twos'. All three kids had the trademark Weasley hair, and the twins had gotten Percy's beautiful azure eyes.

Percy was a wonderful husband. Loving, supportive, attentive, wonderful with the children; he was terrific. They had a few minor squabbles every now and then (like Percy's aversion to Hermione working while pregnant), but they always worked things out quickly and got through their problems.

Hermione sighed into Percy's mouth and threaded her fingers through his crimson tresses, relaxing further into the bed and the kiss. Percy lightly stroked Hermione's cheeks, keeping the kiss deep but gentle.

Pulling back slightly, Hermione smiled as Percy rested his forehead against her own. "I- love- you," he whispered against her lips, punctuating each word with a gentle kiss.

"I love you, too," Hermione responded in kind, pulling Percy back down. They stopped their romantic display, however, when the door to their room was flung open.

"Mummy! Daddy!" shrieked Nicole, dashing into the room and jumping onto the bed.

"Oh, be careful with your Mum, Nicole," Percy said worriedly, halting Nicole's process of jumping on Hermione. She looked tentatively at her mother, not moving another inch.

"Well, you _can _give me a hug, sweetie," Hermione said with a smile, "We just don't want to hurt your little brother or sister."

Nicole gained a very knowing look, nodding sagely. "Yes…" she said in an important voice, patting Hermione's belly with her small hand. She then gently put her arms around her mother's neck.

"There you go," Hermione said, kissing the top of Nicole's head. Nicole then turned and spotted Percy.

"_Daddy_!" she yelled, quickly jumping on top of Percy, nearly knocking the wind out of him. Percy let out a short grunt before hugging her back and ruffling her hair, the messy pigtails becoming even more rumpled.

"Where are your brother and sister?" Hermione asked. Before Nicole could answer, a tired voice sounded from the hallway.

"They're here!" Ron suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking very tired but very happy. He was holding Michael, who began to wiggle as soon as he saw his parents.

"Daddy!" Michael said excitedly, jumping into Percy's arms as soon as Ron sat him down. Michael was very close to his father, what with them being the only two men in the house.

"Where's Draco?" Hermione asked, leaning over and gently smoothing down her son's hair.

"He'll be right here," Ron said, stifling a large yawn. "Did you guys have a nice night?" Ron and Draco had taken the children for the night so Percy and Hermione could have some much-deserved rest.

"We were asleep by eleven," Hermione said truthfully. She and Percy had spent a nice, quiet evening talking by the fire and reading in bed. They had been too exhausted to even consider doing… anything else. 

After just a few moments, a very disheveled, but also very happy looking Draco appeared, carrying a grumpy Cassandra. He sat her on the bed, smiling wistfully at the sight of the family. Without so much as a word, Cassandra, or Cassie for short, nestled herself down between her mother and father, Michael curling up beside her.

"Cassie didn't get much sleep last night," Draco explained. "Seems we forgot her bedtime 'storybook'." Ron snorted very loudly. For reasons unknown, every night at bedtime, Cassandra liked to be read to from Hogwarts, A History. Like mother, like daughter.

"And when Cassie doesn't sleep, Mikey doesn't sleep," Hermione added, looking down at the sleeping twins.

Draco sighed happily. "Ron?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You want to tell them?" Ron replied; Draco nodded furiously.

"Tell us what?" Percy asked, looking over to Hermione, who was now in the process of putting Nicole's hair into a much neater plait. She shrugged, looking to the two men at the foot of the bed.

Smiling hugely, Ron took Draco's hand. "The adoption papers went through," he said quietly.

"Really?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded.

"They said they'd have a baby for us within four months," he told them excitedly.

"Did you tell Mum yet?" Percy asked.

"We're doing it today. Gin and Harry stopped by last night right after we got the news, and you four are the only ones who know yet," Ron said.

Hermione smiled. "That is so wonderful," she said sincerely. Ron and Draco had been trying to adopt since Nicole had been a year old, but they hadn't had any luck… until then, apparently.

"Yeah," Draco said blissfully, "We'll finally have a child to love and raise as our own…" Caught in the tender moment he leaned over and kissed Ron intensely.

When they hadn't parted after several moments, Hermione cleared her throat. "You know, you guys had better go tell Mum; if she finds out you two didn't tell her straightaway that she's getting _another _grandchild, _man_, will she be in a right mood!" Ron and Draco both nodded in assent.

"Yeah, we'd better go," Draco said. He suddenly cocked his head to the side. "Say how many _is _this going to make? Grandkids, I mean."

Percy bit his lip in concentration. "What, ten? With four on the way now?"

"Eleven with four- er, five coming," Hermione amended. So far, she and Percy had three, Harry and Ginny had two with another on the way, Fred and Angelina had one and she was pregnant with twins, George and Sarah had two, and Bill and Fleur had three. Charlie was still single, and he'd said that Molly just might have to count on that forever. He was perfectly happy being an uncle, not to mention godfather to Nicole, and Bill's oldest, Allie.

"Well, thanks a bunch for watching the kids," Percy said, smiling down at the children.

"It's no problem," Ron said, "You know we always love to."

"Now that you two have had plenty of practice, you should be great with your own," Percy said.

"Hopefully," Draco said, "Okay, little one, come give us a hug." Nicole quickly jumped up and went to Draco, hugging he and Ron in turn.

"And what do we say, Nicki?" Hermione asked.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Nicole smiled sweetly. "Thank you for letting me 'pend the night, Uncle Ron and Uncle Draco," she said graciously.

Ron and Draco both grinned. "She is absolutely adorable!" Ron gushed, softly patting the child's head.

"You are very welcome, Nicole," Draco told her. "Bye, everyone!"

"Bye," chorused Percy, Hermione, and Nicole as Ron and Draco Disapparated.

Hermione turned to Nicole. "So, Nicki, what did you do last night?"

The girl smiled proudly. "Uncle Ron teached me to play chess!"

"Terrific," Hermione said dryly, her annoyance at her brother-in-law and best friend quite obvious to Percy as he took that opportunity to grin broadly.

"Alright, I'll get these two to bed, then," he said, standing and gently lifting Cassandra with one arm and Michael with the other. "Come on, Nic, you can help me with Cassie and Mikey, and then we'll make breakfast for Mummy."

"Yay!" Nicole called; cooking was one of her favorite activities. She quickly dashed out the door towards the twins' room.

Chuckling, Percy walked around the bed, stopping in front of Hermione. "No rest for the weary, huh Mione?"

"Not for a while, at least," she said with a smile. Percy leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers.

"I'll be counting the days," he replied with a lascivious grin.

"What, till we can sleep through the night again?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.

"Sure," Percy said with a wink. Hermione simply smiled and shook her head as he walked through the open door.

****

The End

******

A/N- oh, a Happily-Ever-After type ending! Aren't they wonderful? Now, I realize that some people probably won't like the names of the kids, but oh well, that's just how they turned out. My story anyway…

So, thanks go out to my wonderful reviewers here:

Elena Guidry- Oh, congratulations on your engagement! And, hey, _I'd_ take those consequences any day! …well, maybe not the pregnancy…

Tara- there, the last chapter… read on for something that might make you happy!

Loran- thanks! But here *hands over a dustpan* Clean up your furballs! Hehe…

Moon*Star- Wow, your favorite?! Thank you very much!! And read on for sequal info!

flutegirl- thanks very much!

Silver Moon Serpent- oh, well… *blush* Thanks a lot!

melanija- yes, I do know what they say about good things… I'm gonna draw them out and milk them for all they're worth! Hehehe…

ruffled owl- thanks very much! Did you like the last chapter?

Taryn- hmm, I guess he already did pop the question! Tee hee… And don't loose the patience!

Mayhem- exactly, it's not _my_ fault that she's been in England so long! (Hehehe…) And if it had taken much longer, I might have had Charlie beat it out of him!

Caitlin- thanks! And don't worry, I'm still writing!

Rebecca Anne- Thank you very much!

HPFFG- oh, yeah, I just used crib because I think I'd already said cradle enough. Thanks!

NaturallySpazic- thanks very much! Glad you thought it was sweet!

Sneezy Mouse- spiffing, eh? Glad you liked it! And there will be a few new ones coming soon! And thanks, I'm sorry about _your_ grandma

PheonixRae- well, no wedding in CoAaD… but read on, and you might like my ideas…

sanguinans- thanks a lot, really. And you probably have mentioned that you love fluff, but it's such a great announcement, you can make it as much as you want!

allee kat- I don't think your friend has read CoAaD. Or if she did, she didn't leave a review. Thank you so very much, I really appreciate that you're recommending me to others! Oh, and on the sequal: read on!

Alli-Baby- Yes, Percy and Hermione are a cute couple, huh? *sigh* Thanks!

Skye Rocket- thank you very much! - Exclamation point Tee hee!

Yukito Forever- it is sweet, isn't it? Thank you!

Jade Straight- yes, I think fluffy could describe it pretty well. Now, I have a couple of fics I'm going to be cowriting with Alizee, and a few projects of my own. Check out my author page for any new developments if you don't find them elsewhere!

Clare- aww, thank you very much! Did your eyes really water? I'm touched!

Silver Dragon Princess- there's the last chapter *sigh* Did you enjoy it?

coolgirlchic16- yes, happy endings are the best (I've been _writing _lots of angst lately!), and I always love to write them!

TReader- I'm glad you read it, too! Thank you very much!

Grytherin14- when I get some more fics going, I'll try to email you, and I'll say I'm sorry now if I don't remember! But try checking my author page from time to time for new things from me!

hasapi- hey, how 'bout G-SNAG? (gay, sensitive new age guy! Hehehe… maybe not) And I know I didn't really give the reactions of their family and friends; originally, I did, but I hated the way the scene had come out, so I decided to skip straight to this instead. But obviously, they weren't against it!

Queen of the Jungle- oh, on the sequel, read on! I love the fluff too, and I really hope you liked this chapter

Jasini- was this chapter long enough? Probably not, but did you enjoy it anyway?

Crazy-Fool- oh, you think it's cool? Sweet! Thank you very much!

Killie- Woah, fifty times a day?! That's a little obsessive… just kidding, I know I check for fics I like just as much! I hope you and your friend enjoyed this chapter!

springroll27- oh, thank you very much! Super sweet, eh? I like it!

gohansfollower- did you like the last chapter? And here you go, more warm fuzzies! *passes out warm fuzzies*

dracos-baby-gurl- yes, they are a happy family! Girl loves boy. Boy loves girl. Girl and boy love girls and boy!

Patsy- oh, don't cry! *hands tissue* And yeah, I'm thinking about a few others to do…

Pheonix- I think it's really flattering that you chose to copy my story. Though I haven't read it personally, I've heard things. Keep up the good work! Once you get some ideas of your own, I'm sure that your true talent as a writer will shine through. Keep at it, Kiddo!

summerthyme- yes, everything must end eventually, as sad as it is. I'm glad that you liked it! As you can see, Percy and Mione didn't rush off and get married, but what are you gonna do? Thanks a lot!

Lulu-Chan- thanks a bunch! And I'm working on the Percy/Oliver, but it's a slow work. Unless they put Oliver in the drop down menu, just keep checking my author page for it. Thanks!

Bitc-of-da-world- thank you!

Jenna- thank you very much! I love Harry/Hermione, too, but it's always good to broaden your shipping horizons!

Thalia- thanks a bunch! And yes, YAY is a good way to describe it (as much as people say they've liked reading, I loved writing it just as much!)

delila-malfoy- on the marriage thing: read on! You just might get it… thanks, btw!

Night Jasmin- oh, thank you very much! I'm glad you like my writing!

Hermione18- thank you so much! I'm really glad you've been reviewing this whole thing, and that you're telling me NOT TO RUSH!!! Glad someone wants me to take my time! Thanks again!

Now, I really hope you've enjoyed reading the Consequences of Alcohol and Depression as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'd like to thank every single person who's read and reviewed this story, and I hope you keep looking for my stuff in the future.

Just a little tidbit that I've been holding out for a while: there might be a sequel. I'm not promising anything, but there might be. Now, it could be Percy's POV of this story. Everyone who reviewed asking for Percy's thoughts and ideas on the situation, you just might get them. Or, it could be Percy's, or Hermione's, POV on the next little while after Chapter 20. But remember, I'm not promising anything. It'll take quite a while for it to be out, if I do write it. I'm kinda busy, and I've got a few other projects coming out. Check my author page for my future stuff, I have no idea where it'll be posted!

So, once again, thank you all for reading (and especially if you reviewed). Love ya,

~*~Gwen~*~


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